Ride in a panga - Ocean and Mangrove Forest

Still Wednesday a.m. This is my 2nd post today. First post is below this one.
Tuesday morning we watched the work on the palapa for awhile. They were putting up the palm fronds as all the wood and string had been replaced.

Then we went into San Blas to the harbor to take a panga ride out on the ocean. A panga is a little fiberglass boat with an outboard engine – the fishermen use them for fishing. The panga we were going out in.

The one on the left is our boat

The ramp down to the boat was the most thrilling part of the ride. Each plank sagged differently as you stepped on them.

Hummmm???

Our boatman/guide Fabian.

We went past the light house on the way out. It sits on an island that is 30 miles long and most of it is empty beach.

We were going out to the rock in the distance

The Piedra Blanca de la Virgin del Mar – The white rock of the Virgin of the sea

Statue of Virgin on top of it.

Why the rock is white.

Lots and lots of pelican poop. Right now the pelicans rule it – a month or so ago the seagulls were there but then the pelican drove them off as they are bigger and meaner according to Fabian. But soon the seagulls will be back.
The back side of the rock – facing the open sea reminded me of a little dogs head laying down.

Puppy face

But as we continued around the rock the side of it formed a man’s face. Fabian called it Jesus Christo. Kind of looks like a fisherman with a hood and beard to me.

Then Fabian pointed out a school of sardines – it's where all the silvery ripples are. There were several schools of them out there. I always wondered how the fisherman found them, now we know.

Silvery ripples on the left

There was a shrimp boat out there too. He was anchored in one spot. They stay near shore during the day and go out to fish at night. This one was from Mazatlan and will be in the area for about a month.

All the birds on the lines. Look like little flags from a distance.

Leaving the ocean we went a ways into the Mangrove Forest. Some information I looked up about them if your interested   link   It was so peaceful there. Saw lots of different birds. Some Cormorants in the trees

An eagle eating his lunch

Another majestic bird in a tree

Saw lots of these and took lots of pictures of them.

Then we came across this wreck. It happened during one of the bad hurricanes nine years ago. Took it from the harbor and deposited it here where it still is today.

fishing boat wrecked in hurricane

Just a shot of some of the trees and their roots.

Some more birds

Fabian says this is a falcon – taking his word on it.

An area with a lot of dead trees – again caused from the hurricane.

Another bird.

One side of the river is black mangrove

The other side red mangrove

Poking our nose into a little inlet. All you can hear is the soft ripple of water and the songs of the different birds. Once in a while a boat with some fishermen in it would paddle by.

Too soon heading back towards shore.

Back at the RV park the shelter was almost finished. Bill got out his kites for a while but the wind didn’t last very long.

And it was TIME FOR MY ULTRA LIGHT RIDE