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Firefly - Cruising Las Perlas



Situated only 40 miles South East of Panama, the Las Perlas Islands we have visited so far are surprisingly remote. Our first landfall was Isla Bayoneta one of the most westerly of the group. Since leaving the Panama Canal we have been re introduced to tides and currently there are very large springs, with a negative low water i.e. the level goes below chart datum. These islands are therefore very different to the Coral Cays of San Blas. In fact the tide, the spacing and the sand are more reminiscent of the Isles of Scilly! The water is very heavy with plankton so visibility is lower and the water is also about 5 degrees cooler than it was in the Caribbean. Similar to the San Blas Islands our charts are not as accurate as they could be so combined with extreme tides and poor visibility we had to be very careful on our approach to Bayoneta. Our pilot guide to Panama written by Eric Bauhaus is invaluable.

A walk along the beach was memorable;the bird life is spectacular with large numbers of Brown Pelicans often seen flying in formation. Rock pooling takes on another dimension with all shapes and sizes of crabs. Although there are few fish visible when swimming, the sea is alive with fish jumping and splashing, the highest jump witnessed was actually by a ray. On the windless passage to Las Perlas there were several areas of blooming plankton and obviously enjoying this were a large number of rays, mostly in groups of 2 or 3, clearly visible from the deck of the boat. During our beach combing we had our first encounter with iguanas, and we know we will see many more when we reach Galapagos.

The large tidal range proved useful for Paul, who when fixing the new gas BBQ (only used twice previously) to the stanchion yesterday evening managed to lose 3 critical metal parts overboard in about 8 metres of water (at that time). It was low water at midday and the depth was down to 4 meters - the crew donned masks and flippers to search for the parts which were located on the sea bed and duly recovered.

Our next stop further South was the island of Pedro Gonzalez( well that's what the chart says)on arrival at another beautiful anchorage (we are being spoilt) we took the dinghy ashore only to be confronted with a sign and a security guard announcing that it was in fact Pearl Island and private. Our trusty pilot guide describes attractive walks to a small village through herb plantations. It appears things have changed and the whole island, like another nearby is being developed into an exclusive resort.

We hope we will find a more accessible (and beautiful) island tomorrow.

Paul, Susie and Peter

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