Bocas del Toro, Panama My second visit, this time with some divers from the local dive shop in San Jose. - (172) more edit 2007-09-07 - rec# 174

Last November Deb and I went to Bocas del Toro, Panama. Last week I returned. This time with 27 other divers from the San Jose area. Organized by Diving Mania, a local dive shop, we left San Jose at 6:30am on the 6th of Sep. Drove threw Lima on past Puerto Viejo threw Sixolas and on to the border. This border crossing is an old, rusty rail bridge across which passes foot traffic and hevy trucks. Only one truck is allowed on the bridge at a time...a good idea given the condition of the bridge. A short boat ride and we're on the island. Bocas del Toro is mostly a tourist town. Restaurants, dive shops, coffee shops, hotels and shops. A quite nice town and I enjoy going there. The first evening we all had dinner together a couple of doors down from our hotel. It was generally agreed that the food was dull and bland. Paying the bill took quite a while as the restaurant had no change and nobody received bills. But in time we got it all taken care of. For breakfast I wanted to try to find a restaurant Deb and I discovered in November. It's just a hole in the wall, great food, spicy Caribbean cooking. I had coffee and potatoes. Much better than the..."food"...of last night. I was the only person there. It's a very small restaurant with limited seating. All counted 10 or 12 can eat there. I passed the word on to a few of the other divers...where the "good" food was. Our boat left at 9:30am for two dives around the islands. There are lots of nice coral reefs and gardens in the waters around the archipelago. Not very deep (what else is new around here), in the 45 - 60 foot range. Easy dives, calm waters, short boat trips, minimal gear. Easy and beautiful dives. After the dives back to "lili's" (the restaurant). This time there were three other divers there. T hat night I had the best night dive of my career so far. I had my camera on the morning dives, but usually never bring it on night dives. There's enough to keep track of in the dark with a flashlight. Missed lots and lots of great shops. We dove on a wreck. Lots of interesting equipment (old engines and rusted riggings) with life all over the hull. Lots of shrimps. Great opportunities, if only I brought the camera. After we moved on past the ship my mate and I found the largest sea slug I've ever seen. A type of nudibrank, large, green, with the typical "feathers" on top, eating it's way across some plant life. Of all the animals I saw on this trip this was the most interesting. So many of my best pictures are only in my head. Such is life. When we ended the dive we found ourselves under a clear, beautiful sky. Bright stars out, the Milkey Way in clear view. Floating on your back out in the sea under a clear night, surrounded by the blackness of the sea and the blackness of the sky. Punctuated by stars and rocked by the waves. There is nothing like that experience! Next morning back to Lili's for breakfast. This time there were about 8 other's there. All divers, all from our group. Lili's was doing well by us. Next day the same dive schedule, but this time I was going to take my camera with me on the night dive. There are not many wall dives to do around here. One of our dives was at a location called "Hospital point", a very nice wall with coral along the top. Among our fids was a Scorpion Fish, the larges, ugliest one I've ever seen. Our night dive was at the "Playground", a coral field. Much less interesting than the night before and proof positive that taking a camera on a night dive, no matter how good a dive, is of no value. You can't shoot what you can't see and if you use the flashlight to illuminate the target it messes up the camera settings to the point you don't get a usable picture. A worth wile experiment. Each time I returned to Lili's there were more and more divers from our group. By the time I had my last breakfast in Bocas del Toro and place was full. I only ever saw two people I didn't know from our boat. This was my first dive with a new group of divers and friends. Hopefully I'll be spending more time with these wonderful people blowing bubbles. Lots of great pics too...