Frequently Asked Questions
Are your tours safe?
We take risk management seriously. Working with experienced Internationally certified guides you’re assured to be in good hands. operating for over 10 yrs we’ve had no serious incidents..not with injury, incident or theft.
Are Fluid tours appropriate for kids? For families?
Absolutely. We can do private tours for your families’ specific needs or try to make a group of similar families so as to provide for some extra fun. Our oldest client on a multi day tour was 94 and youngest 2.
What do we bring for our trips? What time do tours begin?
-Packing List and Info Sheet
Is Santa Catalina village safe?
Living in a small village is truly amazing. We are tight knit and everyone knows everybody. The kids play in the street and we watch out for one another. There is the odd incident but proper diligence and common sense manifests a smooth, issue free Santa Catalina experience.
Can you accommodate for special dietary requests?
Absolutely! With many years of providing nourishing meals and menus for our clients we are quite adept to meeting food requests and dietary restrictions.
Is the surf in Santa Catalina also for beginners?
We are blessed in Santa to have a variety of types of waves. The conditions are always changing but Playa Estero and Playa Santa Catalina can be magnificent for first timers, log-riders and for advancing skills. Some of the point breaks are more adept to advanced surfing and yes Fluid will do individualized guiding/chaperoning to the point.
Are the kayak tours appropriate for beginners?
Again yes. We try to combine trips with folks of similar paddling experience for paddling compatibility but our trip areas are gentle, protected seas and easy landings. We have trips specifically for experienced paddlers also.
Do we paddle long distances?
We have some trips that are geared more towards those that want to paddle a lot but for the most part we journey short distances by kayak in order to explore snorkelling spots, whites sand beaches, nature walks and other places of interest. In the Panama sun we try to spend more time in the water.
How are the bugs on Coiba?
Dry season tends to surprise most folks by the absence of bugs. There can be sunrise and sunset sandflies and add mosquito but really they are a non factor for most. For the bug sensitive folks, long pants for dusk/dawn and skin so soft tends to work wonders. Our tents also have no-see-um netting for bug-free sleeps.
What are the typical animals we might see on a 3 day Coiba tour?
We see a lot of wildlife diversity on our Coiba tours above and below the water. Typically on the boat trip out we various schools of dolphins, rising fish, flying fish, floating sea turtles and a variety of shorebirds. While snorkelling we often see many varieties of colourful fish, larger pelagic fish, sea turtles, eels, rays and the odd white tip reef or nurse shark. On beaches and nature walks we often see white faced capuchin monkeys, Coiba howlers, agoutis, basilisk lizards, hermit crabs, the odd sprocket deer, black hawks, bare throated tiger herons, osprey and many other avifauna species. Once in a while, depending on season, we see whale sharks, humpback whales and mantas.
What about solo travelers?
We can run private tours and also try to connect individuals and couples with other trips running. Some of our trips have a 4 person minimum.
Besides Santa Catalina and Coiba, where else in Panama do you recommend to visit?
For beaches and surfing..Bocas Del Toro, Playa Venao and Moriato. For fresher environments... El Valle, Sante Fe and boquete. In/around Panama City... Bio Museum, Miraflores Locks, Gamboa and Casco Viejo.