base camp or temporary office?

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.