Bona and Iguana Islands
As sun rose over the island of Bona National Geographic Sea Lion was anchoring at the little passage within the great Panama bay. After morning stretching, we began an early Zodiac crossing around the island. Local fishermen were already looking for the daily catch in these rich waters while we were exploring the surroundings.
A spiral of magnificent frigate birds were soaring in circles trying to reach optimal elevation to leave the island in search of food, while groups of brown pelicans where flying in a V formations for the same purpose.
This morning adventure brought lots of contrast as we witnessed brown boobies taking care of their young ones while some iguanas slowly situate themselves in ideal positions for basking in the glorious sunshine.
The light exposed early geological origins of the island where we saw sedimentary rocks mixed with basalts and igneous rocks. Once we reached the corner of Bona we were treated to a sighting of a school of southern Stingrays flying through the waters. It was indeed a pleasant surprise. A little while later we went back to National Geographic Sea Lion for breakfast and our voyage continued towards the west of Panama Bay.
Our next stop was Iguana Island where we were able to explore and snorkel in its crystal waters. This was our first encounter with the coral and vibrantly colored fish of the underwater world of Panama. As the sun dipped below the horizon, we returned to National Geographic Sea Lion and continued on our voyage.
