Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.
Diving scientists record ‘cloud’ of thousands of swarming crabs in Panama
This week in Panama, there was a natural phenomenon involving thousands of crabs off the shore that both fascinated and excited scientists and locals alike.
Descending in a submersible in waters off Panama, scientists noticed something strange happening near the seafloor. It was a drifting fog of sediment, disturbed by something below. Diving deeper, the scientists found the cause: crabs, thousands of them, swarming in a way never before recorded. “We just saw this cloud but had no idea what was causing it,” said Jesús Pineda, a biologist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts and the lead author of a paper on the crabs published on Tuesday.
“At first, we thought they were biogenic rocks or structures. Once we saw them moving, swarming like insects, we couldn’t believe it. “Nothing like this has ever been seen, where we have this very dense swarm at the bottom,” Pineda said. “We have no idea why they might be doing this.”
Source: The Guardian
Panama Fest Panel Analyzes Pan-Regional Latin American Film Distribution
After this months highly successful Panama International Film Festival, many are looking at ways to improve future distribution for local, and regional films in the Latin American market. An informative panel, held here in Panama City, furthered this discussion.
During a wide-ranging discussion, the panelists discussed the obstacles to ensuring that Latin American films circulate within the region. Ramirez summed up the problem by stating that it’s often easier to see Latin American films in New York, London or Paris than in Buenos Aires, Mexico City or São Paulo.
Latin American cinema has been in vogue over recent years, with a notably higher demand from international sales agents and a string of strong local box office hits. But very few titles succeed in clocking significant box office admissions in Latin American territories beyond their home market.
Source: Variety
5 Ways Uber Has Changed Life In Panama
Uber just celebrated two years in Panama, and much like in other cities, it has been a source of controversy. Overall, however, some of the biggest Uber supporters are their customers, many of which think Uber has been instrumental in making life easier for transportation in the city. Here’s a good look at why, from our friends at PTY Life.
1. Safety: Uber has provided a safe option for people to get around – especially at night. Every once in a while I hear about someone that got mugged in a taxi in Panama and this just isn’t something you have to worry about with Uber. The driver is background checked and every detail of the ride is documented and tracked which deters the driver from committing a crime.
2. Drinking & driving: Another safety issue Uber has helped to resolve is drinking & driving. Getting wasted and driving home was unfortunately a common occurrence in Panama City before Uber. People who have cars in Panama do not normally like to use a taxi to go home at night so they would always take their car out. There is not any statistical data to back this up but I have personally seen more people using Uber to go to and from the bars now than driving home wasted at 4am.
Source: PTY Life
The Top 5 Reasons Why Panama is a Great Place to Live and Retire
With so much recent press focused on the Panama Papers scandal, many people in Panama feel that their country is getting a bad rap. Understandably, a lot of people want the outside world to know how wonderful Panama is as a place to live and work. In honor of celebrating our wonderful Panama, here are our reasons why we think Panama is a great place to live and retire.
Quality of Life
When it comes to quality of life, Panama is nearly unmatched. Panama has year-round warm weather, easy access to a variety of services, a high level of business stability, and low crime. Panamanians are considered to be some of the happiest, most content people on earth, and this culture and lifestyle rubs off on anyone who calls Panama home. You can live a great life, with low stress, and still keep the creature comforts that make you happy back home.
Continue reading about why Panama is a great place to live and retire.
