Today’s activities included snorkeling at a sunken ship near Isla Perro (Dog Island) before visiting Isla Diablo (Devil Island) and then continuing on to another group of islands to anchor for the night.

We once again slept well on the boat, as it gently rocked in the sheltered waters. We had come prepared with a host of modern medicines in case of seasickness, but we really didn’t need any of it. None of us had trouble after that one spot the previous day. We were relaxed and happy, and by the time Team Hubbard was up and moving, the Guna working day had long since started.

The past few days had been cloudy and rainy in spots. It was the rainy season in Panamá after all. But today the sun was out and shining brightly, making the turquoise water even prettier. However, we quickly realized that the lack of sun the previous days had been a blessing in disguise. Team Hubbard is melaninistically challenged and not really built to withstand the full force of tropical sun for extended periods. That said, the water in the sunlight was gorgeous.

Around 8:15, we pulled up our anchor and headed west. Our destination was a pair of small islands – Isla Perra and Isla Diablo. Along the way, Marcelino and Juliana began working to prepare the octopus we purchased yesterday by boiling the meat.

After a couple of hours, we dropped anchor between the Dog and the Devil. We geared up and set off in the dingy for another snorkeling adventure with Marcelino.

Our destination was a shipwreck right next to Isla Perro. Almost immediately after getting in the water, we spotted a couple of sharks lying on the sea floor.

By now, even Julie was excited to see them.

From here, we swam to the shipwreck. We don’t know the name of the boat or why it sank, and we sure hope nobody was hurt. We also appreciate the cool place to snorkel!

The wreck must have been here for some time, as it was covered in coral and fish. We started at the stern of the ship, which was deeper in the water and swam toward the bow, where the boat had apparently run aground. Along the way, we passed an opening in the middle of the ship, perhaps where cargo could have been lowered into the hold.

Apparently, this was a popular place to snorkel, but since we arrived well before any day trippers, we had the place to ourselves. The bow of the ship was marked with flags to help boats avoid wrecking on the wreck.

From the wreck, we continued to swim to the other side of Isla Perro, where there is a large, beautiful reef, filled with amazing corals. Cassie found a pretty striped sea slug.

Lydie and Cassie continued to enjoy diving deep under the water to look more closely at the fish and coral.

Or sometimes the girls dove down just for fun.

(Lydie didn’t know I was filming her, and you can see her laugh when she realizes she’s been caught cavorting.) This was our third snorkeling excursion, each of which was at least 2 hours. You’d think it might start getting repetitive, but it wasn’t. Each part of the reef was so unique and full of life.

The photos really don’t do justice to the experience. In the water we all enjoyed exploring the nooks and crannies to see what we could see.

I know, I know. It’s just more and more fish and coral, but come on! Look at the fish!

You can see in the background of this video that Julie was using her noodle to stay afloat. Midway through this swim, she ditched the float. She was feeling more confident and wanted to move faster. Go Julie! (We later learned that the noodle had another downside. It kept Julie’s back and bottom right just out of the water, and she got super sunburned.) After more than 2 hours of swimming, we circled the island and climbed back into the dingy. Back at the Yoli, Julianna had another delicious lunch ready for us – chicken kabobs, pasta salad, and fresh pineapple juice.

After lunch, Lydie decided to rest, while Julie, Cassie, and I headed to nearby Isla Diablo to poke around a bit.

This island has some small cabañas, a bar, and some vendors selling local crafts. Our accommodations on the Yoli were certainly nicer, but this tiny island had a cool vibe.

It was time to move on. We returned to the boat, pulled anchor, and set off to another spot for the night. When we arrived, our superstar crew enlisted Cassie’s and Lydie’s help in preparing dinner.

Okay, maybe the girls weren’t that helpful. But it was amusing! “Cena” is Spanish for “dinner,” so Cassie and I dubbed one of the lobsters “Juan Cena.”

We dropped anchor in another beautiful spot. A couple of Guna fishermen passed near us, but we were already fully stocked with seafood. There was a light breeze, which these Guna men used rather than paddle. Marcelino said that Guna will make a sail out of just about anything they can find.

Team Hubbard then rested for a bit. Julie and I read on the back of the boat, while the girls napped in their cabins. Around 5:30 pm, we decided to island hop a bit with Marcelino in the dingy. There were two tiny islands nearby. The first one was mostly beach, but we enjoyed a quick lap.

The sun was starting to set, but we figured that we still had time for another island. After all, these islands are tiny. Plus, this second island had hammocks.

Most of Team Hubbard was even more excited to find that there were puppies and kittens on the island.

With the sun setting behind the clouds, we headed back in the dingy. We showered on the back of the boat, dressed, and played cards while waiting for dinner. Tonight, we were going to eat the lobster we purchased the previous day, and holy smokes they were good!

Marcelino and Juliana had boiled them before baking them with garlic and butter. Then, they added some parsley and lemon. And of course, they could not have been fresher. So, so delicious! And the setting was unbelievable.

Throughout the past days, I found myself repeatedly saying that San Blas is simply a special place. It is, and we felt lucky to have found it.

-Will