Checking out of Panama took nearly all day.  By the time we had paid our marina dues, filled up with water, visited the fuel dock and replenished and collected our laundry it was too late to sail anywhere so we anchored just outside Flamenco Marina and watched a film on board before spending a comfortable night without too much swell. Being just beside the Bridge of Americas we saw some pretty unusual cargo ships:

Whoever designed this structure? Amazing it floated!

Bright and early next morning we set off for Las Perlas Islands, and Isla Pedro Gonzales in particular as the pilot book describes this as one of the prettiest anchorages.  As far as I know there are no indigenous peoples living here but certainly there are black, Spanish speaking inhabitants who eke out a living.  One of the islands is the location for the reality TV show ‘Survivor’.  The sea was glassy, flat and full of rubbish, probably either washed down the rivers or unloaded from ships.

Paul on the bow reflected perfectly in the glassy sea

Dolphins and sperm whales were plentiful with frigate birds and pelicans diving into the sea for fish all around us.  We had bought a new fishing rod and reel in Panama with all sorts of colourful lures so we tackled up (is that the right _expression_?) threw out the line and almost immediately caught a mahi-mahi – a four lb female.  Although I haven’t caught and gutted a fish since I was with my father on Hastings pier aged about 10, it all came back to me as second nature. 14 steaks were marinating in lemon juice, soya and chilly and dispatched to the fridge in record time - when we caught a second – the same size but male.

Paul’s Mahi-mahi

And being despatached…..

We motored the whole way to the islands, as there was not a breath of wind, criss crossing the paths of dozens of pelicans flying one behind the other as if they were playing follow my leader…. each literally following the antics of the one in front.

Pelican follow my leader…….  

We arrived at Isle Pedro Gonzales just before sunset, sometimes motoring through ‘red’ sea – we were not sure if it was red earth churned up, river water or some other phenomena - to find Moonshadow (Peter who was our ‘line handler’ and his wife Liz) already anchored in the bay – just the two yachts - so we enjoyed a lovely evening on their boat with our fish!

Anchorage at Isla Pedro Gonzales

Next morning we noticed the same red sea all around the boat – then hundreds of pelicans and frigates came swooping in and the puzzle was solved – the ‘red’ sea is actually millions of fish moving as one like a river….. yet not one could we catch in the hand held net so quick were they at changing course and escaping! However the birds had a feeding frenzy.

Pelican party – the sea full of tiny red fish

We spent the day cleaning the inside and outside of the boat – filthy from our time in the marina - and also gathering a collection of barnacles along the water line.  Remember we had painted one side of the boat with anti fouling mixed with chilly to see if this would have any effect in deterring marine life but both sides were as furry as each other.  Sunset brought Alan and Mary off Happy Wanderer sailing in to the anchorage and they spent the evening with us which was great and once again confirmed to us the advantages of the Rally – scope to escape the crowds but good to have friends around too.  The wind is non existent during the days here but reaches 20+ knots at night with a tidal range of five meters which is pretty dramatic.

The pilot book describes this island as having some ‘interesting herb plantations’ and naively I was hoping to top up my stock of basil and coriander - but a dubious rendezvous between a high powered motor cruiser which dropped anchor in the bay tonight, worryingly right beside us, and a few locals flashing torches on the beach have worried us that possibly there is something else growing in them their fields…….. so probably we will move on tomorrow……..