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Whales, Pirates, and Lightening (Cathy)
May 24, 2003
After our trip to the big city and the mountains, we stocked up on groceries, filled our water tanks, and were prepared to spend the next month in deserted paradise.
Morro Naranjo/Punta Entrada
In a fit of surf exploration, we left the group for a day to explore the island of Morro Naranjo. Marc had seen an article in Blue Magazine about the small surf camp and killer waves on this island. So, we set out into one of the now-common lightening storms. June through November is the rainy season in Panama, which generally means only that it is muggy and a thunderstorm rolls through in the afternoon. On our passage to the island, we were caught in one of these squalls, with black clouds, lightening bolts and ominous thunder.
We managed to squeak into a small protected cove on the island without getting hit by lightening and set out to discover the small village. The village consisted of about four families in grass huts, and the residents were polite and friendly. We debarked to walk through the jungle and handed out toys to the native children. One two-year-old child screamed, wailed, and ran away at the site of our pale skin and blue eyes. His mother confirmed that he had never seen a "gringo" before in his two years. Now we realized we really were out in the wilds of Panama! Unfortunately, it was difficult to get to the surf camp by boat, so we resolved those waves would go unsurfed.
See photos of the anchorage and residents of Morro Naranjo.
Isla Canal de Afuera
This tiny picturesque island was one of the best stops of the entire trip. It is part of a 270,000 hectare national marine park with incredibly scenic tropical islands. Nearby Isla Coiba has been the site of a maximum-security prison, but is also a national park on the north side.
We anchored in a small bay nestled between two coconut- and jungle-covered islands in the clearest water we have seen to date. The visibility was 30 feet of turquoise water, and we could see schools of vibrant tropical fish and pufferfish right below our boat. The next three days were spent snorkeling around the hundreds of coral reefs in our anchorage and showering in an ice-cold waterfall.
This area also had several squalls and lightening storms. One night, we had a particularly fierce storm and when we poked our heads out of the boat after dark, we noticed a small boat close to Tramonto, with several men huddled inside. Our first thought was that these were escaped prisoners from the maximum security prison on the nearby island, so we spent an uneasy and sleepless night with eyes and ears open. We had heard that the prison had recently been closed, and the next morning, we confirmed that there were no longer prisoners on the island. So, luckily, our visitors were just local fishermen looking for haven from the storm and the waves.
Bahia Honda
The next stop was the wide and protected bay of Bahia Honda. This area is beautiful, with rolling, green hills and lush jungle vegetation. It is also incredibly isolated, with the nearest road a four-hour hike. We visited the town of Bahia Honda, which had a very sad air. The residents had just gotten paid by the local employer, and were doing their best to spend all of their money in the bars. We had hoped to stock up on provisions and water there, but this town had only a small tienda with dried beans and canned goods. However, we did meet some of the local children who were fun and less jaded than the adults.
See photos of Bahia Honda and its residents.
The next week or so we made tracks and sailed long days with overnight stops and quick land visits. The next long passage was to round Punta Mala and cross the Bay of Panama to Las Perlas Islands.
Punta Mala
Punta Mala is famed and feared for its weather patterns. Opposing wind and strong countercurrents can make this a very nasty passage, so we were checking the weather very carefully. The reality of the Punta Mala navigation was much easier. The winds were controlled and steady, and as we motored around the Point, we had a two knot opposing current which made our passage slow but safe.
This passage was Cathy's longest, at 29 hours, much of it in squalls, rain, and thunderstorms. Due to the miracles of modern pharmaceuticals, Cathy managed the passage without sickness. However, we did have some pretty exciting moments.
Whale Escort
We were in the middle of the Gulf of Panama, about 8 hours into our 29-hour passage and it was beginning to get dark. Marc was on watch and Cathy heard him on deck exclaiming loudly. Tramonto was surrounded by a pod of about five pilot whales, no more than 10 feet off our boat. In fact, they were so close we could hear them singing through the hull. It was an incredible and peaceful moment as we heard them puffing and splashing next to the boat.
That moment changed to both awe and angst as whales began to leap out of the water right in front of our tiny (in comparison) boat. One whale shot out of the water with only his tail fins still submerged, about 10 feet off the bow of the boat. This caused lots of swearing on our part and evasive maneuvers to get out of the path of the whales. As soon as we stopped and reversed course, another whale lept right where our boat had been. A close call and an awe-inspiring experience at the power, size, and beauty of these whales.
The rest of the night was also very exciting as we dodged fierce squalls and lightening storms. At one point, the radar showed that we were dead center in the middle of a donut-shaped ring of squalls that had converged as we were trying to move out of their way. Crackling lightening bolts so close we could smell the ozone, loud thunder booms, waves, wind, and black clouds made it an exciting and exhausting night. We feel very lucky not to have been hit by lightening, and have vowed not to do afternoon or overnight passages if we can avoid it.
Archipelago de Las Perlas
Finally, we worked our way to the group of 220 islands named "the Pearls" for the giant and world-famous pearls produced in this area. In fact, the largest pearl (31-carat) ever produced came from this area, and has been owned by emporers, kings, queens, and now Elizabeth Taylor.
These islands were discovered by Vasco Balboa in 1513, and claimed for Spain. The Spaniards proceeded to slay all the native Indians, import slaves from Africa, and collected all the oysters and pearls from the archipelago. One of the islands, named "Isla Contadora", was used as the counting house for the pearls before they were shipped to Panama City and back to Europe. In the late 1600s, this archipelago was also a haven for pirates and a homebase for their attacks. After the pirate Henry Morgan sacked Panama City in 1671, other pirates entered the Perlas to pillage Spanish territory and ships.
Only five of these islands are visited by tourists, and Contadora has now grown to a resort community with beautiful weekend houses, resorts, and a small airstrip bringing tourists from nearby Panama City. We visited three islands in the Perlas: Isla Contadora, Isla San Jose, and Isla Pedro Gonzalez. Aside from well-populated Contadora, we found these islands to be gorgeous and undiscovered, with no other boats and coconut-palm-fringed beaches.
Isla Pedro Gonzalez
Isla Pedro Gonzalez was another of our most beautiful stops. The broad, white sand beach looks like something straight out of a travel magazine. We walked on the beach, picked coconuts, and visited with the beach's one resident, a 78-year old man living in a palm frond house. He showed us the hiking trail to get to the island's one town. So off we went for a two-hour hike through the lush and tangled jungle.
A few wrong turns and lots of sweat later, we stumbled onto the town of Don Pedro. This cheerful town is inhabited by friendly and jovial Afro-Caribe inhabitants. People waved and smiled as we walked through town and escorted us to the bar. We sat at the bar and met a few of the town residents, and cooled our tired soles on a breezy balcony with hammocks. When we decided we were hungry, a resident guided us to a woman's home where she sold us a plate lunch of chicken, rice, beans, fried plantains, and a salad for $1.75. We sat on her front porch, ate the delicious food, and were perfectly content.
See photos of Isla Pedro Gonzalez in Las Perlas.
Next Stop: Civilization
After a glorious and relaxing month in the wilds of Panama, we are ready for a culture fix, sushi, and some boat repairs. So, we are heading into Panama City to satisfy food cravings and to prepare for the Canal crossing.
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