(29-06-10) The archipelago of Bocas del Toro in Panama is situated on the northwestern coast of Panama and around the Bay of Chiriqui. This isolated region of Panama has only recently been discovered by international travelers. It is for this reason that much of the island chain remains in pristine and untouched splendor.
We have just found a diver and outdoor lovers paradise with unspoiled coral reefs, deep-sea fishing, boating, kayaking, snorkeling and long sandy deserted beaches. Traveling to Bocas, as the locals call it, can either be as simple as taking a 40 minute flight from Panama City or as adventurous as going over land by bus and water taxi. Either way it is a destination unlike any to be found elsewhere in Panama.
The people of the province are made up of mainly indigenous tribes, many of which still live in small isolated villages scattered throughout the islands. Add to this a healthy mix of people originally from Jamaica and you have an atmosphere that is more closely aligned to the islands of the Caribbean.
The pace of life is slow and relaxed with nobody seeming to be in much of a hurry. Locals travel between the islands in dugout canoes, some with motors, but most without. These canoes, or pongas as they are called, litter the waterways and channels, especially in the morning when everybody is either going to the main island or the mainland. During this rush hour, most adults are traveling to the mainland to work in the banana fields and the children are going to the schools on Isla Colon.
Located on Isla Colon is the province's capital city, Bocas del Toro. This was the headquarters for United Fruit at the turn of the century and was an important shipping and receiving port. With the movement of the center of operations to the mainland in the mid-fifties, Bocas towns importance to what would later become Chiquita Bananas faded. It still remained the center of government in the province with the governor's mansion, hospital, schools and church. The 1991 earthquake that separated many of the old wooden structures from their foundations capped the slow slide into unimportance and decay.
We dive with Bocas Water Sports. They announced over 15 dive sites on a regular basis, and the crew is constantly searching for new and interesting dive sites. Their captains and divemasters take pride in taking their guests to the best dive sites available, depending upon divers' wishes and weather conditions. Here are just tree of the sites that make diving in Bocas a wonderful experience:
Hospital Point
Located just off the northwest corner of Isla Solarte, Hospital Point offers a dramatic backdrop to dive. Topside, this is one of the most beautiful spots in the archipelago, but underwater is where the true beauty of Hospital Point can be observed.
Enter the water in a shallow sea grass bed and swim a short distance to a vertical mini-wall, encrusted with lettuce corals and teeming with tropical reef fish and a large assortment of both hard and soft corals, vase sponges, and encrusting sponges. One dramatic feature of this site is an enormous rock outcropping which extends out over the reef, providing shelter for schools of silversides.
The Playground
One of the closest sites to Bocas Town, The Playground starts with a shallow, sandy area that is covered with pillow starfish, conch, sea cucumber, and other invertebrates.
As we approaches the reef area, surgeonfish, parrotfish, damselfish and other colorful reef fish begin to proliferate. The reef here is extremely healthy and the reef structure provides a home for moray eels, spiny lobster, and channel clinging crabs. This area is also home to some of the biggest Barrel sponges in Bocas.
Another feature of this site is an underwater cable that provides electricity to one of the neighboring islands. Following this cable can provide an interesting lesson in the different types of ecosystems found in the waters of Bocas del Toro.
Punta Manglar (Mangrove Point) / The Wreck
This is a beautiful reef system, starting in approximately 12 feet of water and descending to approximately 60 feet; this area provides a vast array of hard and soft corals, sponges, and schooling
reef fish.
The shallower part of this reef system is alive with vibrant colors, while in the deeper areas it is not unusual to find large grouper and snapper stalking their prey. Close to this reef system is another dive site. Called simply “The Wreck" is the best wreck dive in Bocas.
This ship was a car ferry that was sunk intentionally in 1999 as an artificial reef. Sits in approximately 35 feet of sea water and it deck come within 20 feet of the surface. Being submerged for many years, the wreck is totally encrusted with file clams, corals, and sponges and provides a home to a multitude of feather duster worms, spaghetti worms, and arrow crabs.
