PANAMA, Isle of Bastimentas

A 15 minute boat ride from Bocas takes you to the Isle of Bastimentas, the home of the most beautiful beaches in the area.The walk to the beach was 30 minutes through the jungle unless it was raining which it was the first day, then it is an hour of slipping and sliding. I spent 3 days here including going on a tour to watch the leatherback turtles nest on the beach at night. It was amazing. We left the hostel at 9:30 pm for the 40 minute boat ride to the other side of the island. We then sat on the beach until the guides located some of the nesting turtles. We were not able to use flashlights or flashes on our cameras but the moon was full and we had excellent light on the beach. We watched the leatherback turtle lay over 50 eggs in the hole it had dug. We were only 1 to 2 ft. away from the turtle. One of the park rangers put a flashlight on the back of the turtle so we could watch the egg laying. Afterwards, the turtle covered the eggs and returned to the ocean. Truly, one of those special moments. We got back to the hostel at 3 am. exhausted.