Start your tour early with a visit to Barro Colorado Island. After a short ride to the town of Gamboa, board a boat to cross the massive Lake Gatun. Born out of the Panama Canal, Gatun’s creation displaced over 50,000 people and submerged acres of forest – it also formed Isla Barro Colorado. It is heavy with wildlife including howler monkeys, keel billed toucans, tapirs, sloths, anteaters, tiger herons, crocodiles and the stunning Morpho butterfly. Administered by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute since 1946, this area is considered the best-protected and most studied tropical rainforest in the world. Travelers are limited to a single trail that loops the island, to ensure the ecosystem remains well protected. You will also have the opportunity to explore the bays and forest-covered channels. From the boat, keep an eye out for Panama's thriving wildlife. Return to your hotel late this afternoon.