Once on base the Girl Scouts had a peaceful night before quickly departed for Panama the next morning. They enjoyed their boat ride to their final destination: Bocas del Toro!

Once at the dock the girls befriended a dog named Jack and have been taking care of him since they arrived. They also began practicing their confined water skills in preparation for their dives. They have been working with our Dive Master Jim Rowe (our executive director)! They have now completed their open water dive and their night dive where they experienced bioluminescence (which they absolutely LOVED)! While on their ship wreck dive the girls were able to see a large school of fish and a lot of sting rays too! All of the girls have taken their exams and completed their NAUI Scuba certifications and passed with flying colors! To celebrate the Scouts headed to the beach for some R&R. At the beach the girls befriended a cat and did a whole photo shoot with him.  

Everyone has been having heaps of fun wakeboarding and kneeboarding around the Bocas del Toro islands. They had a practice run on dry land to nail their technique before getting into the water. The Scouts were also able to visit a local school in Bocas Del Toro where they were able to dance and play with the local kids. At first the children put on a “presentation” for the Scouts but it was not soon after that all the girls joined in to dance with them. 

Today the Girl Scouts will be heading off to Sloth Island (which sounds just as amazing as the name implies) to spot some two-toed sloths! Later in the day, they will be visiting bat cavern for some cave exploration! 

Next week, everyone will be headed to San San Pond Sak, one of the most important sea turtle sanctuaries in the world to meet conservationists and learn about the active conservation efforts for endangered leatherback and hawksbill sea turtle populations. Students will also complete a night patrol to monitor the potential mama sea turtles laying their eggs along the beach and protect them from animal predators. They will also get to see and feed manatees from the docks (mosquito nets will be put to excellent use around these marshlands)!