CAU > Seminars and Study Tours > Snorkeling, Cormorants, and the Panama Canal: A Family Adventure

Snorkeling, Cormorants, and the Panama Canal: A Family Adventure

December 26, 2008-January 3, 2009

The registration period for this program has passed.
Please contact us if you have any questions.

Overview

You know about Panama's miraculous canal--that stunning feat of modern engineering (and political chicanery). The overwhelming scale of the undertaking boggles the mind when you see firsthand the vast jungle the canal dissects, the massive locks, and the sheer size and number of ships that make their way through the canal each day. History books can supply the dates and names, but exploring the canal up close brings its story to life in a way no book can match--and in a way you and your family will never forget.

Less well-known than the canal are Panama's misty mountains, brilliantly colored orchids, exotic wildlife, staggering ecodiversity, amazing snorkeling, and warm, welcoming people. From its teeming coral reefs and rushing rivers to its volcanic peak, Panama is a lush, inviting playground for active families. And while it remains untouched enough that many of its indigenous people still live today as they have for centuries, Panama is modern enough to offer family-friendly fivestar resorts deep in its rainforests. The best of all worlds? Some might call it paradise.

Itinerary

Led by our intrepid, inimitable, and very popular CAU duo--Cole Gilbert, associate professor of entomology, and Linda Rayor, senior research associate in entomology--and assisted by local specialists along the way, we will explore the Panamanian landscape from top to bottom, canal to coral reefs, wildlife to indigenous culture. We'll gather at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort near Panama City and begin our adventure with a foray to and through the canal. We'll sail across Gatun Lake in the canal, passing by gigantic cargo and passenger ships. As we visit the Miraflores Locks, take part in a private tour of the canal museum, and watch as the great ships are raised and lowered while transiting the canal, we'll learn lots about the canal, its construction, and the incredible challenges its crews encountered. We'll also get our first taste (so to speak) of Panama's marvelous wildlife, as we spot green iguanas, sloths, crocodiles, osprey hunting for peacock bass, and snail kite, and as we search for white-faced capuchins, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and the endemic red-naped tamarin. By dinnertime you'll be ready to relax at our thoroughly comfortable, beautifully appointed lodge.

From the canal we'll venture into the Panamanian hinterlands as we examine and observe a series of different, more than occasionally amazing habitats and topographies. We'll board traditional piraguas (dugout canoes) for a journey along the Chagres River to a traditional village of the Embera, visit their jungle settlement, and enjoy a quick swim in a natural pool beneath a lovely waterfall. We'll take part in a whitewater-rafting expedition in the Chiriqui Highlands, where we'll seek out more wildlife, including cormorants, kingfishers, and otters, and hike and swim in lush surroundings. We'll spend a day at La Amistad Biosphere Reserve in the Panamanian cloud forest at 7,500- feet elevation, where we'll hike on El Retono Trail in the foothills of Baru Volcano, view the wildlife inhabitants, and look for the legendary quetzal.

Leaving the Chiriqui Highlands, we'll drive along Fortuna Road, one of the most scenic byways in all of Latin America, cross the Continental Divide, and head down to the Caribbean shore at Bocas del Toro. We'll settle in at our terrific home, La Tortuga Hotel and Spa, for two days of some of the best snorkeling anywhere. At the Bastimentos Island National Marine Park we'll sail and swim among mangroves and spectacular coral reefs, among giant starfish and all sorts of reef residents: it's the sort of place where National Geographic specials are made. We'll explore Bocas del Toro (a lively, picturesque seaside town of wooden houses built by the United Fruit Company), with its melting-pot culture of Native Panamanians mixed in with Panamanians of West Indian and Spanish descent. We'll meet our pen pals (we'll tell you more about them when you register), set aside time to rent bicycles and kayaks, snorkel, and--for the adventurous--take a beginner's scuba diving course. Cole and Linda will provide daily lectures and lead us in lively discussion, and talented Cornell student counselors (biology majors as well as delightful companions) will oversee a variety of biology projects. We know your whole family is going to enjoy this amazingly varied and beautiful visit to exquisite little Panama and its grand waterway.

Program Cost and Travel Arrangements

The adult program fee of $5,450 (per-person, double-occupancy) includes all lodging, meals, transportation in Panama, site visits, admission fees, taxes, gratuities, emergency medical-evacuation insurance, full escort services, and the full educational program. The supplement for single occupancy (limited availability) is $1,200. The program fee for youngsters (per-person, double-occupancy) is $4,200. Airfare from the U.S. will be offered at additional cost (the current cost from New York is $900), but you are free to make your own international air arrangements.

Program Notes

This will be a physically active program. We'll be walking and hiking over uneven terrain, hilly trails, and wet ground. We'll be boarding various conveyances and sometimes driving along bumpy roads. All children must be eight years of age or older and able to swim to participate (sorry, no exceptions).