Q-and-A: Rain Forests & Reefs cruise
Oct 24th, 2009 by wwftravel
© Cynthia Gneiser
Bobbie Martin, a Program Manager for Zegrahm Expeditions, WWF’s tour operator for our Rain Forests and Reefs expedition, shares her thoughts on the voyage, which she accompanied in 2009.
What was the highlight of the expedition?
Panama! I am completely taken with this country. From the beautiful beaches of Escudo de Veraguas, and its endemic humming bird, to the charming Kuna Indians of the Darien and the fantastic snorkeling at Holandes Cay in the San Blas Archipelago—I could easily spend a month there.
Number one piece of advice to future travelers?
For many of our clients, because they are such seasoned travelers, Central America doesn’t often come to mind. I know it hadn’t for me. This trip is in my top three that I’ve traveled on with Zegrahm and that surprised me. It’s so close, only about a few hours of traveling for most, and there’s not much of a time change. This makes the transition from home to vacation so much easier. The expedition exceeded all my expectations, and for someone who’s been managing this itinerary for four years, that says something.
What was your favorite wildlife sighting?
We were snorkeling off Lighthouse Reef in Belize at a coral reef called “The Aquarium.” It was simply stunning—everyone was pointing out new and different fish when a pod of dolphins swam by. It was incredible and a first for just about everyone in the water. We also had incredibly close views of capuchin monkeys on the Rio Claro in Costa Rica.
What did you take away from the trip?
I loved the balance of culture and natural history on this expedition. We had wonderful wildlife encounters both above and below water. The time spent with the indigenous tribes in Panama was a real highlight for me. Of course, the daylight transit of the Panama Canal was special too. I’ll never forget arriving in Balboa and taking our place in the queue for the transit the next morning. I was awake by 5 am, thinking I would be the first up, and headed out on deck only to find 15 to 20 others already chatting with the captain and crew, the excitement was palpable.
As a first time traveler on Le Levant, describe how she is different from other expedition vessels?
She’s a beautiful ship, so sleek and streamlined, almost like a racing vessel. She also carries kayaks which were in constant use as we explored the Caribbean and Pacific waters.
What’s your favorite feature on Le Levant?
I loved and was surprised by all the open deck space. This was especially wonderful for our day transiting the Panama Canal with plenty of room for everyone to be out on deck. There are also well-placed audio speakers on all the outside decks making it easy to hear the canal interpreter from wherever you are on board.