Last September, counting down the days to my birthday extravaganza, we carefully chose an excursion for each port. Visiting baby sloths, monkeys, and butterflies on my birthday was a special treat, but nothing prepared us for an excursion to Monkey Island on Gatun Lake. A zoo-like, long-distance view of monkeys doing whatever they do. Instead, our experiences were up close and personal, while even witnessing a theft on another boat. Oy Vey. Let me start from the beginning.
To begin with, the boat reminded me of something we watched on Gilligan’s Island. Without Skipper or the professor, the setup was a little sketchy. Two elderly tourists took their walkers up to the boat, and then, the sweetest crew helped the frail couple aboard. Once we put on the life jackets, 18 souls were ready for the river. This was definitely less of a cruise and more of an adventure.
Once we left the dock, the captain hit us with a sudden acceleration across Gatun Lake. Along the way, we passed many huge ships making their way through the Panama Canal. Skipping across the water, our boat jumped the wakes with back-jolting hits. At least, we were too fast for mosquitoes. Chopping along at high speed, hair whipped as passengers clutched their hats.
Racing our sister boat, it was neck and neck. Each captain tried to catch fewer waves to reach the monkeys first. Quite the competition was underway. With each slap across the water, I prayed the fiberglass shell would hold. These weren’t the safest or newest boats on the water. While the race continued, tourists scanned the shoreline with cameras at the ready.
After about 20 minutes on the water, the engines slowed, and the rainforest grew as quiet as a rainforest could. The captain and guide began making strange calls, a sort of blend between clicking and whistles. Ever once in awhile, the guide would snap out a word that sounded like “Bendt” in a language foreign to me. Arriving at Monkey Island, we waited, as everyone wondered how this would work.
After trying several places along the tree-covered shoreline, the first monkey materialized from the jungle. One after another came to the shoreline by swinging through tree branches. Howlers, capuchins, and tamarins showed themselves. One Howler came aboard the other boat and quickly stole something from a tourist’s open backpack. Like a flash, it was back among the tree branches eating a candy bar, and then dropping the blue wrapper in the water below. And so, the adventure was in full swing.
The capuchins had curious faces and clever eyes. Agile and confident, they clearly ran the place. These felt friendly (except for the thief.) According to the guide, they are cute, but not safe or friendly.
Not to be left out, the howlers came to visit. Although we didn’t hear them, these monkeys have deep, booming calls that roll across the lake. These monkeys are too large to ignore, and we all looked up to watch their antics.
The Tamarins were the last to show up and the most suspicious of our boat. After our guide rubbed fruit on a hanging limb, they came down to enjoy a little snack. Two father’s carried their babies around on their backs. Squirrel-sized and extremely fast, they were hard to photograph. The fatherly love caused our collective hearts to melt.
Monkeys visited our boat. The guide handed me a leaf from one of the trees to pass off to the littlest passenger. Grabbing it, he was gone in a flash, back into the safety of the trees of the rainforest. Monkeys were hopping aboard, here, there, and everywhere. We weren’t to touch or smile in any way, as exposed teeth are a sign of aggression. The thought of a possible attack sobered up the group. Calm and still, everyone did a good job hiding teeth and excitement.
Being surrounded by wild monkeys in their own world was exhilarating. Experiencing equal parts of wonder and disbelief, this was one of those rare travel moments that can’t be recreated. Just experienced and never, ever forgotten.
Once docked, we returned to the bus. There we received water, a turkey sandwich, and coconut muffin, a delightful end to a most wonderful morning. Although photos couldn’t possibly capture the rich experience, we all took home magical memories. Truly something unforgettable.
