A fine
example of "swords into ploughshores" is the small, and
little-known island of Galeta off the Caribbean coast of the province
of Colón.
Isla Galeta
is one of the seven major research centers administered by the Smithsonian
Tropical Research Institute (STRI) on the Isthmus and is devoted to
the study of mangrove habitats. However, until a few decades ago,
part this verdant tropical paradise was a major international intelligence
center used by the U.S. military during the WWII and Cold War eras.
Back then,
only two hectares of the island were used for espionage and intelligence
purposes, leaving the remaining 70 hectares (covered by mangroves,
swamps and forests) virtually intact, until 1967, when STRI started
operations there.
The old
bunkers that remained after the U.S. military abandoned the island
have been transformed into state-of-the-art labs, used each year by
dozens of scientists from around the world to study an important network
of coral formations and 22 species of tropical birds, among other
species of flora and fauna.
Isla Galeta
has played an important role in the protection of the pristine Caribbean
coast of the Isthmus, monitoring any developments in marine life between
the province of Bocas del Toro and Portobelo, in the province of Colón.
Visitors
are encouraged to spend a day at Isla Galeta, accompanied by expert
guides. For more information, call: 212-8026.
