Jungle Walk   Mar 17

Shelter Bay here used to be part of a huge American Army base. The Americans left in 1999 and returned control of the Canal to the Panamanians, along with large tracts of land and facilities. Much of the original buildings are now abandoned and slowly being returned to the jungle, but the roads are still passible and have become good walking paths for exploring the jungle. Every week there is a nature walk organized by one of the cruisers. The tree canopy is about 25 to 30 meters high and provides shade cover and a diverse ecosystem with very interesting flora and fauna. It’s a birdwatchers’ paradise. There are also families of howling monkeys, who from high up take much interest in the human visitors and with fairly good aim throw down tree branches and other objects.