The Smithsonian Research Institute
Trip Start
Sep 28, 2007
1
31
33
Trip End
Ongoing
Panama,
Panama
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The next day was the leaving day for the tour so we all went our seprate ways. I went to a freezing internet shop to attend to chores, and then spent the afternoon at the Smithonian Institute.
This is a research facility on Punta Culebra, an island now connected to the mainlad, and another island, by tailings from he canal. As an exhibit it is prettty small and does not take long to cover. It has a small set of aquariums with local fish, some sea turtles, and a small patch of tropical dry forest with informative signs about the various habitats on the island. It is an interesting place to wander around, and there are quite a few animals to see if you are patient.
I had a great view of a two-toed sloth being incredbly active as it relocated from one tree, across another to a third. At times it was moving pretty quickly. There were lots of brown pelicans in the trees and air, and many frigate birds overhead. I found a very brown iguana in a tree, and just before closing, as I was watching the sloth, a racoon came around the corner of the path. I saw him well before he saw me, and he got quite a fright. But he paused just long enough for me to take his picture.
