Sunday, August 5, 2007

Isla Cañas


Thousands of sea turtles nest on Isla Cañas every year between August and October. This island is a marine preserve near Panama´s southernmost tip on the Azuero Peninsula. Visitors are welcomed at an intepretive center before heading to the beach. We watched this beautiful pageant after a horse-drawn carriage ride along the beach. After dark, the Hawksbill turtes dig a nest with their fins and lay 80 - 100 eggs each. Green, loggerhead, and sometimes leatherback turtles also nest here. The mothers disguise their nests on the moonlit beach and return to the sea while their eggs incubate in the warm sand. The entire process takes less than 30 minutes ... locating a site, digging the hole, laying the eggs, filling the hole, tamping the ground, and covering the site. They will return before the eggs hatch. Visitors in October will be greeted by baby turtles. This tour returns to the mainland after midnight. We overnight at Playa Venao, one of Panama´s best surfing beaches. Surfers, bring your boards!

1 comment:

  1. great photos! sounds like travelling with you would be a full and inspiring experience, more so than any packaged tour I've ever been on. i'm going to show this to my wife and kids and see about joining you on an adventure in the near future.....

    Eric Ellman
    McAllen, Texas

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