I went to Taboga many times. As I recall there was a small adjacent second Island to the Southwest. There was a reef between the two and we used to anchor up and bottom fish for snapper there. Over closer to the small Island it was 20-30 feet deep and I used to spearfish there freediving. On one scuba trip on the far side of the big Island a buddy and I caught a bunch of lobsters. We used to pull in from squalls when fishing and anchor up off the beach and replenish our beer supply from the bar there. The last thing I had to do for my dive master certification was to throw all your gear overboard (from anchor) in thirty feet of water and then dive down there with just your suit on and gear up. Tip: the “trick” is grab the weight belt first. I did that just off the beach on Taboga. Dang, I loved Panama.
So after I arrived in Panama, the heat, the sun the beaches and ocean were like seventh heaven. Shortly after I arrived in Nov. of '69, I bought a motorcycle so that I would have transportation and not have to rely on the buses or cabs.
After I was transferred to Clayton, I was assigned to a communications center (I forget the name) that was located between Clayton and Balboa. We worked swing shifts, six days on and two off. Whenever I worked the midnight shift, I would often go back to the barracks for breakfast then change into my cutoffs, grab a blanket and head over to Howard AFB on my motorcycle then go out the back to the ocean and sleep a couple of hours in the sun then head back to the barracks and finish my sleep.
What's funny is that all those things I did, I did on my own because none of my buddies had any interest in beaches or the oceans and probably didn't even know how to swim...........LOL!
You mentioned lobsters, on one of my snorkeling jaunts to Taboga Island, I caught two spiny lobsters off the shore but having no way to cook them, I let them go.........
As an Officer, you certainly had a magnitude of opportunities available to you that I as an enlistee didn't. But it's apparent that we both took advantage of what was offered and I have no regrets and nothing but great memories of my time in Panama. For what it's worth, my time in the Army was nothing more than a good job where I was required to wear a uniform.
4/69 - 1/72