Unfortunately weather conditions didn’t improve during the night and when the expedition set course to Cayo Agua it became clear that landing on this island would be extremely difficult. Cayo Agua is one of the most western islands of the Bocas del Torro archipelago and immediately exposed to the high seas of the Caribbean See. Although an interesting morph of Oophaga pumilio with yellows and whites can be found there, the team had no choice but to sail deeper into the Chiriqui Lagoon for protection.

In the late afternoon the “La Vie” finally arrived in the quiet waters between the mainland and Isla Loma Partida, a smaller island on the south-west side of the much bigger Isla Popa. While the island is only separated by narrow canals from the mainland, Tierra Oscura on the west side and Isla Popa on the east side, a distinguished morph of poison dart frog occurs here.

This smaller of the main islands is largely inhabited and deforested, especially along the coast. The mangroves and the many waterfront settlements make it hard to go ashore. The team had to request permission, which was readily given by the landlord, to dock on one of the many jetties on the western side. Once past the pastures and settlements, the rainforest gradually took over and the first strawberry poison dart frogs could be found in abundance. The morph on this island is greenish blue usually with fine speckles on the back and legs. All frogs were found in the leaf litter around the taller trees. Besides some inconspicuous anoles, no other cold blooded animals were found on the island. But then again, it had been cloudy and raining all day.