Costa Rica and Panama Cruise - Page 5

Scroll down for eight photos. Then go to page 6.

Blue-footed Boobies on the Pearl Islands, Panama, 23 March 2007.

While crossing the Gulf of Panama from Coiba to Darien on 22 March 2007, we hit rough seas during the night. Next morning a crew member found a bedraggled, wet and exhausted Least Storm-Petrel. After it rested and dried out, we looked at its tubenose adaptation for processing salt water, and its webbed feet. See above. In photo below, note wedge shaped tail and long, very worn faded outer primaries (the three worn flight feathers on the wing). When released it seemed fine as it flew away.

This Orchard Oriole also sought refuge on the ship, probably a neotropical migrant on its way north. 22 March 2007.

From our zodiacs we visited a bird sanctuary on the Pearl Islands with Blue-footed Boobies, Brown Boobies, Magnificant Frigatebirds, Brown Pelicans and Yellow-crowned Night-Herons. 23 March 2007.

Brown Boobies on the Pearl Islands on 23 March 2007.

Male Magnificent Frigatebird on Pearl Islands, Panama. 23 March 2007.

Female Magnificent Frigatebird on Pacific Explorer's mast while we waited to transit the Panama Canal on 23 March 2007.

Below, Pantropic Spotted Dolphins were common. 23 March 2007. Cruise Page 6 is next.