Caves of Panama

For additional information, contact Keith Christenson at tropicalbats@hotmail.com.

As part of my speleothem paleoclimate studies, I have been involved in cave exploration and surveys in the Republic of Panama with Keith Christenson and colleagues of the Proyecto Cuevas de Panama (PCP). We have been surveying virgin caves in the Republic of Panama. My involvement in the surveying occurs in the caves of the Canal Zone, specifically around Lago Alajuela in the Parque Nacional Chagres, as well as caves in the province of Bocas del Toro and around Lago Bayano in Panama province. This is a very brief summary of two cave regions we have worked in; many other regions remain unexplored and likely contain additional karst and cave features.

Caves in Chagres National Park

The caves in Chagres National Park are generally small, shallow, and in some places decorated, at elevations of around 100 m. For the most part the caves appear to be inactive and are commonly found in isolated limestone hills with only a small, local groundwater flow system. The region consists of karstic limestone located along the southern shore of the artificial Lago Alajuela, which was dammed to provide water for the operation of the Panama Canal. Solution features, karren, enlarged solutional joints, and numerous small caves are present within the borders of the park. The soils are generally thin, and support rainforest vegetation. Numerous fer-de-lance snakes abound in the forest, and appear to prefer the entrances to caves during the dry season. The best-known cave in the region is Chilibrillo Cave, and we have located and mapped several more in the area. 

Click on the pictures below for enlargement and caption. Photos by Lachniet.

Caves in Bocas del Toro

The Province of Bocas del Toro in Panama is contiguous with the Limon Province of Costa Rica, and both contain limestone along the Caribbean Coast. In places the limestone is karstic, as on Isla Colon and other Islands in the Bocas del Toro archipelago. The caves are shallow, near sea level, and copiously decorated in places. 

Click on the pictures below for enlargement and caption. Photos by Lachniet.