Isla San Telmo facts for kids
Isla San Telmo is a special island located in the southeast part of the Pearl Islands in Panama. When ships sail towards the port of Panama, Isla San Telmo is often the first land they see!
In 1996, the island became a protected area called the Reserva Natural Isla San Telmo. This helps keep the island safe for its amazing wildlife. You can find marine turtles on its beaches, unique birds and animals in its forests, and even whales come to the island's waters to have their babies.
Island Location and Features
Isla San Telmo is a small island, about 1.73 square kilometers in size. It sits in the triangle-shaped Bay of Panama, with the Pacific Ocean to its west. It's one of many volcanic islands in the Archipelago de las Perlas. The island is covered in thick forests and was once a coastal valley.
The waters around the island are full of marine life, including many types of mollusks and fish. A river called Rio Cacique is about 3 nautical miles to the northwest. There's also a reef about 1.25 nautical miles long between Isla San Telmo and a larger island called Isla del Rey. Another island, Isla Galera, is about 5.5 nautical miles to the southeast.
Island History
Isla San Telmo gets its name from St. Elmo, also known as Saint Erasmus. He was a saint from the 4th century and is known as the patron saint of sailors. Old Spanish sea maps show this island on them.
Long ago, indigenous people lived in the forests near the shores of the island. Europeans who arrived found many shellfish here and called them "Perlas," meaning "pearls." Over time, the original settlers moved away. Today, people who are descendants of the island's early inhabitants live there, mostly farming and fishing to support themselves.
The Mystery of the Submarine Wreck
Off the beach of Isla San Telmo, you can sometimes see the wreck of a submarine when the tide is low. For a long time, no one knew where this submarine came from.
A researcher named Jim Delgado from the Vancouver Maritime Museum decided to investigate the wreck. A local fisherman told him about the rusted, weed-covered metal object he had seen during low tide. Delgado saw the wreck himself.
After five years of research, the wreck was finally identified! It was the "Sub Marine Explorer," an underwater craft designed by a German engineer named Julius H. Kroehl. This submarine was one of the very first submarines ever made. It was a pioneering vessel used for underwater explorations in the 1800s.
It was discovered that the "Sub Marine Explorer" had many technical problems during its time. Jim Delgado continued to explore the submarine in 2002 and 2004 to learn more about its fascinating history.
See also
In Spanish: Isla San Telmo para niños
