Day 25

    This morning we went to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. We learned about marine life and how some species are becoming extinct, like the black sponge. We also saw slugs, sting rays, sharks, sea turtles and sea cucumbers.
   Later we went to the Panama Canal's visitor center and museum. While there, we learned how the canal was built and how it functions on a daily basis. We were able to see a boat go through the one of the locks. There are three sets of locks in the canal, two on the Pacific side and one on the Caribbean. Water in the lock is lowered at a rate of 3 feet per minute. We had a fantastic afternoon learning about the history and future of the canal.
  For dinner we went to a restaurant where we ate traditional Panamanian food and saw dances from across the country. It was a wonderful way to end to our day.