San San Pond Sak Manatee and Turtle Tour

Adventure to mainland Bocas del Toro to visit the protected San San Pond Sak wetlands. Recognized as a Ramsar site, this network of rivers and lagoons is home to endangered manatees, while the neighbouring beaches are the nesting site of huge leatherback sea turtles. Depending on the time of year, you will have the opportunity to spot both of these rare creatures during your stay on the river San San, as well as hearing howler monkeys in the surrounding forests and looking out for iguanas, sloths and capuchin monkeys.

Your overnight stay at the remote cabin, located between the river and the beach, will allow you to appreciate the wild sounds of the jungle at dusk, and offers an unspoiled view of the night sky, far from the city lights.

Highlights

• Watching manatees! San San Pond Sak is one of their few known Central American habitats.
• Accompany the rangers at night to observe the turtle nesting sites. Depending on the time of year witness a mother laying her eggs or tiny hatchlings scurrying towards the sea.
• Discover the wetlands and tropical fauna of the park. Keep a look out for sloths, river otters, white‐faced monkeys, iguanas, and more.
• Located between the beach and the river, the remote cabin on stilts offers a perfect place to rest in the wilderness
• The beach right behind the cabin means you can stroll along the sands and cool off in the crashing waves of the sea.

Itinerary

Day 1:
12:00  Lunch at the cabin
1:00   Depart for the San San Pond Sak wetlands
2:00 Trek through park and turtle spotting
6:00 Dinner followed by stargazing
Day 2:
9:00 Breakfast followed by manatee tour
12:00 Have lunch and return to Isla Colon

Package Includes

• Return transportation: Isla Colon – San San Pond Sak – Isla Colon
• Guided manatee tour
• Guided turtle nesting tour
• Complimentary bottled water and snacks
• Accommodation and meals

What to Bring

• Walking shoes
• Sleeping bag or sleep sheet
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen
• Dark clothes for turtle spotting
• Snacks
• Bathing suit and towel

Price

Please contact BSTA for details, or visit our Tourist Information Center between Calle 1 and 2, on the road to the airport.

About Us

AAMVECONA (The Association of Friends and Neighbors of the Coast and Nature) is formed by local residents, and offers rural, community tourism. Tourists enjoy an incredible educational and cultural experience without creating a negative impact on this fragile and beautiful region.

Sustainability

AAMVECONA strives to conserve and protect the San San Pond Sak ecosystem through the development of activities which also benefit the local community. Turtle monitoring programs have generated the opportunity for environmental education and awareness, as well as providing a source of income for the residents thanks to the arrival of volunteers, researchers and tourists.

Offering the local community an alternative to hunting and logging has meant a reduction in the hunting of leatherback turtles, and has allowed AAMVECONA to begin managing the Wetlands more effectively. As well as the successful turtle nesting program, they have begun to work on a strategy for protecting the manatees.

AAMVECONA also works with local artisans to promote products such as bags woven from discarded plastic bags – reducing the amount of dangerous waste contaminating the Wetlands at the same time as supporting local artisans.