Finally the ship with which we were to share the locks got into position.
Once we got into the approach to the locks, the “high tech” component of the exercise became apparent – the rowboat. They apparently never found a better way to get the cables from the ships to the “mules” (locomotive-type machines that run on tracks along the canal) than good old-fashioned manpower. The row boat approached the ship,
the rope handlers, who had come aboard previously, threw a rope from the ship to the rowboat (the on-board videographer is shown here videotaping the whole process).
The guys in the rowboat attached a cable to the rope and the rope handlers pulled the cable on board and secured it.
The other end of the cable was attached to the mule
and pulled tight.
There were 4 mules, 2 at the bow and 2 at the stern that kept the ship centered in the lock. Then the lock gates closed behind us
and the water started draining out.
Once the water was down to the level of the next lock and the gates in front of us were fully opened,
we moved into the next lock, the mules following alongside.
It was interesting to see that the rope handlers had plenty of leisure time while we transited the locks.
Linblad ships are the only ones allowed to stop here, enabling us to walk some of the trails used by the researchers. We saw a blue and yellow poison dart frog, which didn't stay around long enough for us to get a picture. The air was full of the sounds of cicadas. But they were no match for the howler monkeys. The neatest thing was seeing and hearing the monkeys.
After our hike we watched the ships coming to and from the locks while waiting for our canal pilot. 
Then the canal pilot came aboard and we headed for the locks that would take us out of the lake to the Atlantic side.
This morning we took a zodiac ride around a small island in the Gulf of Panama where lots of seabirds can be found. We saw lots of brown pelicans
and frigate birds,
including males with their red pouches inflated.
We also saw lots of brown boobies and blue-footed boobies. 
In the afternoon we visited a small village on the island of Taboga near the Panama Canal where our hotel manager’s family has a home - the tall one in this photo. 
There was also a neat church.
Then we sat near the entrance of the canal with Panama City in the background and LOTS of other ships around, waiting for our canal pilot and our chance to start through the canal.
It was after dark by the time we got underway.
in Coiba National Park, a beautiful unspoiled area of tropical islands. We saw several fish we had not seen before and enjoyed the beautiful clear blue water.
We saw orchids,
many different heliconia,
and other neat plants. We also saw fox bats resting in the tents they had made from palm leaves. Very cool.
In the afternoon we kayaked up the Rio Esquinas, which didn't look much different from other mangrove-enclosed rivers we've kayaked on. Including the bird life, which included white ibis and snowy egrets.
to a waterfall and a series of pools for swimming. This small crocodile
was swimming in one of the upper pools, but that didn’t stop us from taking a refreshing dip. In the afternoon, following a barbeque on the beach, we did some more hiking and saw leaf-cutter ants, one of several times we saw them.
We spent the morning in Manuel Antonio National Park
with a scenic view of the ship offshore
and of the surroundings.
We saw 2-toed sloths
3-toed sloths
and white-faced capuchin monkeys.
and a huge elephant beetle. This one was about 4 inches long, with a very interesting "face".
We also saw a whip spider, just like the one that the Madeye Moody imposter enchanted in “The Goblet of Fire”. Here is a sampling of the butterflies,
including this one that is bright blue on the top of its wings.
We later saw a similar one in the wild and its languid flight made it look as though someone was dangling it from a string. Then we drove to Herradura to board the Sea Voyager.
