Isla Contadora is one the Pearl Islands.  Contadora means "Accounting" in Spanish.  The early Spanish explorers named it that because it was where they settled to count their gold before it was shipped to Spain. It is a small island, which you can easily walk end to end in half an hour.  It has 7 hotels, 6 restaurants, a few small stores, a free health clinic and a small airport.  It is also the location of many beautiful vacation homes for the wealthy and powerful Panamanian families. It also has 7 beautiful white sand beaches and many coral reefs that are an easy snorkel from the beach.

The Pearl Islands archipelago has over 200 islands and small islets found about 35 miles Southwest of Panama City in the Bay of Panama.  Only 7 of the islands have full time human residents.  The rest of the islands are ideal homes for nesting sea birds, iguanas, deer, agoutis, as well as sea turtle nesting areas and of course, the dolphins and whales love the many protected bays and channels.

Why Panama?  Panama is the best kept secret in the world of whale watching.  Nobody knows we have whales here, even local Panamanians have no idea.  In reality, Panama is the only region in the world (along with Costa Rica) where Humpback whales come from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres to breed and give birth!

Every year from July-October we have over 2,000 Humpback whales who migrate to Panama from the Antarctic giving us 100% success in seeing them on our retreats.  In fact, in the Pearl Islands there are over 900 whales to see.  They prefer the protected, shallow and warm bays and channels, often you can see them from the beaches.  December-March we have about 300 Humpbacks who arrive from North America as well. Because Panama is not a major whale watching destination, we are often the only boat out with the whales!

 Whale and Dolphin Wisdom Retreats

in the Pearl Islands, Panama

Price   $2,995 per person  (double occupancy)
 Single rates available  

Special Discount Price  $2,745 

​   
  Space is limited  12 people maximum 

​​ Confirm your space now with a deposit or pay in full.

Pay in Full to Book this Retreat $2,745

​All payments are final

Book this Retreat with a $700 Deposit

​Deposit is non-refundable

Go out each day on a luxury catamaran sailboat to be with the whales and dolphins.  Every day after breakfast we will board a 45' catamaran that will take us out to be with the Humpback whales and local resident dolphins.  The boat is stable and has spacious decks with easy whale and dolphin viewing for all on board.  The boat has shaded areas and is equipped with full working bathrooms and has all the up to date safety equipment and communication systems. 

Our captain and crew will prepare a delicious lunch on board the boat, sometimes while we drift with the whales, or we can stop at one of the many uninhabited islands to explore the secluded white sand beaches or snorkel a beautiful coral reef teeming with many species of colorful fish.

It is always a good idea to purchase travel insurance for your trip in case you need to cancel your trip or tour for any reason.  We recommend World Nomads for all your travel insurance needs.​

​We love World Nomads because they are dedicated to promoting responsible travel and have a give back program to support charities around the world. 

Whale and Dolphin Wisdom Retreats

in the Pearl Islands, Panama

July-October 

​​Completely immerse yourself in the healing energies of the whales and dolphins.  Magical 5 day Spiritual retreats where you will open an intimate and transformational connection with the whales and dolphins in the tropical paradise of the Pearl islands, Panama. You will stay on the tranquil island of Contadora in a beautiful ocean front hotel.  Go out each day on a catamaran sailboat to connect in a respectful, responsible and sustainable manner with the whales and dolphins you will encounter.  Each of our trips has a unique spiritual theme to help you connect on both the physical and spiritual level with the whales and dolphins.  On all of our Whale and Dolphin Wisdom retreats we have a 100% success whale sighting record.  Come join us for a truly unforgettable Spiritual Journey.

Whale and Dolphin Wisdom Retreats

Price includes:     
● 1 night (first) hotel at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort
● International airport transfers to and from hotels
● 5 nights hotel at a beach front hotel in the Pearl islands
●5 full days of boat charter on either a catamaran sailboat
● All breakfasts, and all lunches on the island. (Dinners on your own)

● Snorkel Equipment

● Visit to the Panama canal and a boat tour on Lake Gatun to view monkeys, sloths, tropical birds, etc. 

​● 1 night hotel at the Balboa Inn

● Expert Naturalist guide and trip leader, Anne Gordon de Barrigón

● Guided meditations, communications from the whales and group whale and dolphin energy healings.

Price does not include:
● Flights to and from Panama City, Panama (PTY)
● Dinners in the Pearl Islands, Lunches and Dinners on the mainland
● Tips and gratuities
● Souvenirs, snacks and alcoholic drinks​

Your host, Anne Gordon, grew up boating in the San Juan islands in the Pacific NW of the USA and remembers seeing Orca whales passing by as she did her homework on the beach near her childhood home in Olympia, Washington.  She graduated with a Biology and Animal Behavior degree. She has worked as a zoo keeper at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo and trained wild animals to present in school assemblies teaching wildlife and appreciation and respect.  She also trained animals, both wild & domestic for the TV & film industry for over 20 years. 

Anne founded Whale Watching Panama in 2005. She loves spending time out with the whales and dolphins and likes nothing more than to share the beauty of the whales and dolphins and her knowledge and love of them with her guests. Anne has a deep spiritual relationship with the whales and dolphins and is a certified Dolphin Energy Healing practitioner. She feels the whales and dolphins are her true soul family.

Dolphins too!  Here in Panama we have several species of dolphins who are year round residents that we see on our trips.  Most common is the Pantropical Spotted Dolphins who seem to be equally curious about our boats and the people in them.  They will often come swimming straight towards our boat to play in the waves, ride the bow, some days they have spent over 2 hours swimming alongside the boat.  They are  the species we have the most luck with when we swim with the dolphins.  

We also have several resident pods of Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins in the Pearl Islands.  The Bottlenose are fun to watch and can often be seen feeding very close to shore. We also have occasional sightings of Short-Beaked Common Dolphins and the high flying Spinner Dolphins.  The dolphins often like to hang out with their whale cousins even bow riding and playing with them.