Bocas del Toro Living - How to live, succeed, and enjoy life in Panama's most incredible ecotourism outpost

Sway Cay - is located on the north side of Isla Colon, also known as Isla de los Pájaros. This small island, and those tiny patches of land immediately surrounding it, are the only known nesting sites in the southwest Caribbean for the Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus. Only some 30 pairs remain and breed here. Sway Cay is also one of only three nesting sites of the Brown Booby Sula leucogaster on Panama's entire Caribbean coast.

You cannot disembark on the island of Sway Cay because it is a marine preserve. You can sit in your boat and observe the wild life as long as you like though. Tours to this island are often for a full day and usually include snorkeling at various spots along the way. Playa Drago is about 15 minutes away by boat, and you can purchase lunch there.

Swan Cay is about 150 feet long, and has a small sandy beach. Some bushes and tropical vegetation cover the summit of about 130 feet, and there are coconut palms. You will see rare bird nests on the ledges among the rocks that face the sea. The special birds have very long tails, bright colors, and fly about you as you approach. It is also strange to see them swim because they hold their tails up out of the water. You should be able to eggs and fledglings in the nests at certain times of the year.

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