Karin’s column about the supposed climate refugees by Gardi Sugdub.
Published in “global” magazine from Alliance Sud, issue spring 2025.
https://www.alliancesud.ch/de/panama
From Isla Tigre, we sail on to Waisaladup in San Blas, where our friend Moni comes on board. We continue with her to the so-called swimming pool: here we meet up with many old friends from the Turtle Cay Marina in crystal-clear, turquoise waters. After various dream islands, we also make a detour with the dinghy into the Rio Mangles on the nearby mainland. We are immediately surrounded by the intense green of the mangroves, and the contrast to the piles of sand and palm trees could not be more striking.
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The small island of Gardi Sugdub in Panama is in danger of sinking due to rising sea levels. As a result, almost all the inhabitants have been forced to leave their homes. This was reported by international media last summer. But reality is different.
Published in “Echo der Zeit” from 17.02.2025.
After the very first anchorage of the season at Gardi Sugdub, we continue east in San Blas and sail to Isla Tigre. We are the only boat anchored there and feel like aliens at first. We peer through the camera and binoculars and observe what is happening on the island in front of us. Tourism doesn’t seem to have arrived here yet, nobody comes to Mabul to collect an anchoring fee, sell molas or fish. The former airstrip can only be recognized as such from the air; volleyball and soccer have long been played here. The village is surprisingly well developed with a hospital, school, functioning water and electricity supply, small stores and clean streets. We even find a restaurant and make friends with the crew of a Colombian merchant ship that is moored at the dock here.
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Last summer, a story went through the world press: «Klimawandel: Bewohner verlassen Insel in Panama», was the headline on ARD and «Gardi Sugdub: The Americas’ disappearing island» was the headline on the BBC. A sinking island is forcing its inhabitants to look for a new home on land. The island is called Gardi Sugdub and is located in San Blas, the autonomous territory of the Gunas, in Panama. An island paradise of more than 350 islands. Is Gardi Sugdub, the crab island, now deserted? Perhaps it has already sunk, we ask ourselves and set course for the island.
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From Providencia, we’re cruising 270 nautical miles to San Blas, Panama. The archipelago consists of over 350 islands and islets and is governed by the indigenous Guna people, who call it Guna Yala. We clear into Panama on the main island, El Porvenir, and pay our contribution to the autonomous Guna authority. Porvenir is tiny, with little more than an airstrip and a few houses. While clearing in, one officer is mowing the grass while the other stamps our passports. Here, everyone does a bit of everything.
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After all the jobs in Linton Bay Marina and Colon, are done, Mabul is equipped with a new 80 metre long anchor chain, six brand new AGM batteries with a capacity of 630AH and an incredible amount of food. Karin returns from Switzerland with not only some boat parts, but also her father Georges. We spend a short time in the marina and then set off under engine in total calm. If you ask the people here, you quickly realize that this is the best way to cruising back to San Blas. Once again we drop anchor off some small sand islands, snorkeling, cooking, drinking… Georges is doing amazingly well on board and brings new vigour to the galley.
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The next leg from Providencia will take us together with SV My Motu to Panama, or to be more precise, to San Blas. We heard a lot people saying, cruising in San Blas is a must, so we want to spend a few more nice weeks at anchor here and then sail through the canal to reach the Pacific. We clear in at the small island of Porvenir and spend two weeks exploring the archipelago with its more than 350 islands. But there are still a few jobs on the list before we can cross the channel, such as a liferaft service, then we need to buy the new anchor chain and loads of food. I sail single-handed into Linton Bay Marina for the first time, while Karin deals with things in Switzerland. Linton Bay is where Karin and her father Georges will return to from Switzerland so that we can sail one more time to San Blas.
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Karin’s column about San Blas, an archipelago in Panama.
Published in “global” magazine from Alliance Sud, issue Spring 2024.
https://www.alliancesud.ch/de/die-mystische-welt-von-san-blas
