Sometimes when travelling your best laid plans are futile.
For all your planning, wherever you are in the world you just end up at the
mercy of the weather. This could've been one of those days in the Bocas
del Toro archipelago in Panama - an area renowned for its fantastic beaches,
but also its frequent rainfall.
It appeared we had not chosen our day to explore the islands by catamaran wisely. The sky was leaden with clouds and it was raining so hard on leaving our hotel I dispensed with normal ‘land’ clothes and just went straight to trunks and a diving undershirt.
It appeared we had not chosen our day to explore the islands by catamaran wisely. The sky was leaden with clouds and it was raining so hard on leaving our hotel I dispensed with normal ‘land’ clothes and just went straight to trunks and a diving undershirt.
On our arrival at the dock in Bocas Town there was a short discussion
amongst the five in our group as we were unsure if the day’s trip would go
ahead, but sure enough our captain arrived ready to set sail. Anyone
that wanted to try their luck with the weather the following day was given the
option to swap; given that it had rained at some point every day, and as
seasoned veterans of UK summer downpours, we decided to go for it.
Dolphin Bay
Our first stop was a very windswept and rainy Dolphin Bay,
around half an hour’s sail from Bocas Town. The visibility wasn’t great but after
a short wait we managed to spot some arcing out of the water in front of us.
Mangrove Reef
Our next stop was Mangrove Reef – a more secluded spot
sheltered by the dense mangroves that dot the seas around Bocas del Toro. By
this point it was getting pretty chilly and damp out on the deck and it was a
real treat to jump into the warm water.
I’ve always been more interested in marine animals than
plants but the coral was absolutely fantastic, almost as if it had been painted
like a gaudy aquarium ornament (in a positive way). There were some distinctive
starfish lurking amongst the mass of tangled underwater plantlife, and despite
the heavy rainfall, visibility was pretty good.
The only downside was getting out of the water again, which
felt like getting out of a warm bath when your bathroom has no heating.
Lunch was a delicious ham and cheese baguette which we ate in
the inner sanctum of the catamaran out of the wind. Thankfully, fish –
which usually seems to be served on this sort of trip - was not on the menu. I’ve
always had a vague sense of guilt about enjoying watching fish under the water
and then eating one immediately afterwards.
Feeding the Sergeant Majors
That may sound like a strange euphemism, but I’m talking
about the yellow and black striped fish that are ubiquitous in many popular
diving and snorkelling spots like the Caribbean and Red Sea. It turns out they’re
quite partial to fruit and bread and we watched from the boat as they swarmed around the
chunks of of food being thrown their way like vegetarian piranhas before
jumping in for a closer look.
Any unfinished leftovers were finished off by the parrot
fish lurking lower down in the depths. It was amazing seeing such huge swarms
of fish feeding up close – and the weather even brightened up a bit by the time
we were out of the water.
On our way back we saw some of the local guides in their
speedboats, hammering through the waves and racing each other across the bay.
It looked pretty uncomfortable for the passengers but of more concern were the
dolphins that lived in the bay.
It may have been more expensive but our catamaran trip certainly seemed the more comfortable option, for us and for the marine life.
Search Bocas Sailing to find out more.
It may have been more expensive but our catamaran trip certainly seemed the more comfortable option, for us and for the marine life.
Search Bocas Sailing to find out more.
