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| Mogo Mogo Beach |
April 24, 2013
Isla Chapera
Las Perlas, Panama
08°35.17N - 79°01.09W
SURVIVOR! If you’re a fan of the show, you know what I’m talking about. Seasons 7, 8 and 12 were filmed here and there is a new series being filmed right now. We decided to check it out!
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| From Bayoneta to Chapera & Mogo Mogo (Navionics for iPad) |
We left Bayoneta by a sunny morning and of course threw 3 trolling lines to be soon rewarded by a loud ZZZzzzzip…. The big “silver bullet” on the heavy “Tuna stick” was steaming! Idle, reverse, idle, belt, and reel it in… and 15 minutes later we got a glimpse of what was biting so hard… something yellowish and very large… nothing we’d experienced before; and then it came up for air: a 4’ turtle! There was no way we could bring it alongside and unhook it, so we just cut it loose, poor thing! A few minutes later, we hooked a succession of Black Skipjacks (all on a feather) and had our fish for the day. Even though Black Skipjack is not our very favorite fish, if well bled and cleaned immediately it can be a tasty fish and, pound for pound, it gives the angler a good fight
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| The Aeronaval building at the SW end of Chapera |
We dropped anchor in the channel between Chapera and Mogo Mogo, but the grabbing was poor on the rocky bottom in the middle of the channel. The sandy spots were all taken by a half-dozen yachts, so we moved to the western side of the anchorage where the holding is better. The two beaches on the south side of Chapera are all white sand and, with the water now limpid and warm, a splendid area to swim and kayak around.
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| Trollling on the west side of Mogo Mogo |
But our favorite activity remains snorkeling at Mogo Mogo. Mogo Mogo’s eastern bay feels like a lagoon and is one of the very few places in Las Perlas where we encountered coral formations (the others being at San Jose’s Ensenada Grande and Espiritu Santu.) Here, giant Bumphead Parrotfish, Razorfish, Mexican Hogfish, Blue Parrotfish and Various snappers and triggerfish dart in and out of boulders and staghorn coral. And if you’re refrigerator is empty, just toss a trolling line behind your dink and you’ll catch something: a rockfish or an occasional Spotter Rose snapper.
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| The Portal: ready for the Survivor players |
Mogo Mogo’s “Horsehoe” beach is quite accessible by dinghy. We’ve also seen some catamarans dry up on the beach to do their hull cleaning. However, do not attempt to anchor overnight or remain in the lagoon at low tide with a keelboat: very shallow and rocky in places. The beautiful yacht “Chandon” made the mistake of remaining overnight and party, only to find itself lying on its port side in the morning, stove in and taking in water. She spent the following 4 months in Marina Flamenco to repair the damage.
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| The yacht CHANDON: almost sunk |
But, to the beach! We intended to walk across the isthmus, but a guardian (What? There was no guardian last time we were there!) forbade us: “Survivor” is underway, you can’t visit right now.
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| Strange sandstone steps |
No matter, we still enjoyed the majestic mangrove trees and the curious sandstone steps, taking in the particular perfection of Mogo Mogo. We passed the “portal” and the “beach huts” wondering what this season’s Survivor Games had in store!
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| Mangrove on the beach |
Back on board, JP decided to play a bit with the live bait he caught in Bayoneta. Every evening, during happy hour, he would drop a “mitraillette” (a fishing line with 6 small lures and hooks) overboard and within seconds would reel in a half-dozen small fish (Caranx)– What we didn’t grill or fry for dinner, he would just drop in the live baitwell and oxygenate until needed.
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| Little baitfish... if it doesn't make it to my frying pan (delicious white meat) it goes into the baitwell |
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| Barred Snapper: at 24lbs, a rarity... seldom exceed 10 lbs in this area |
So, friends ask, what are you doing with all that fish? Eat it fresh, vacuum pack and freeze it, smoke it, share it, gift it, so many ways to share a fish. Surprisingly, many cruisers do not fish. “We’ll be glad to fish in your freezer,” is a pretty common response to our question, “Do you not fish?” So, we fish and give the surplus to cruisers who don’t, and everyone’s happy!
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| Barred Snapper. Distinctive feature: the protruding nostrils |
Chapera and Mogo Mogo: a beautiful stop for all tastes. Yet, a warning. Last year, in October-November (rainy season), within 2 weeks of each other, two of our cruising friends suffered devastating lightning strikes right where we’re anchored today. “Eyes of the World” and “Night Hawk” lost their electronics suites and much more in this location. Well, we don’t plan on being in Panama in October…. Long gone by then! For now, it’s still the dry season and the fishing is just starting!
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| The green sandstone at Isla Chapera |
Till next time
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| DOMINO beyond the olive sandstone at Isla Chapera |