Leaving Panama for Galapagos

We left our mooring at the Balboa Yacht Club (it’s not really a club; it’s a fuel dock, pier and office, with a bar/restaurant and free internet) on Tuesday morning, February 23^rd. On our left was the causeway built by the Americans connecting two small islands to the mainland, with Panama City in the background.

It was exciting to be leaving as we followed the channel markers out to the Gulf of Panama. Channel Markers 1 and 2 are the first ones you see when entering the canal from the Pacific, but they were the last ones we saw leaving. We were closest the marker #2 and, once passed, considered ourselves headed for the Pearl Islands.

It only took about six hours to reach this lovely archipelago and we chose to anchor in a small harbor in the island of Contadora. It is where several peace summits were held during the Central American civil wars in the 1980s. Today, it is a small quiet getaway for Panamanians and expats.

That evening we saw an amazing sunset.

The next day, we hired a local fisherman to take us to some coral reefs for snorkeling. Though the waters were a bit choppy, it was our first venture into Pacific waters. We saw plenty of parrot and damselfish.

We also visited the island of Mogo Mogo. Apparently it was a venue for the TV show Survivor, and as we left the boat, our host said, “Good bye and good luck…” He didn’t leave us though, and, we discovered the beach was covered in a wide variety of lovely shells, including orange scallop shells. Jon was the best scavenger, but we all managed to collect something beautiful.

The next morning, we raised our anchor and left Panama for Galapagos. It was part sailing, part motoring. We were often accompanied by sea birds, darting in front of our bow and guiding us along our way. I think they really hoped we were a fishing vessel ready to offer some easy food, but it was fun to think they were our guides and the first to welcome us to the Pacific Islands.