Secretaria

History

Galeta Point was an important place for defending the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. During World War II, anti-aircraft weapons were positioned on the East andWest sides of the Canal to protect it from attacks by German or Japanese forces. Galeta Island was considered the eyes and ears of the Pentagon. During the take down of thePinochet government in Chile, strategic conversations were monitored from this site. The U.S. also supported British forces in the Maldives War by locating Argentine ships.

PuntaGaleta Laboratory were established in 1964, and that was possible thanks to Dr, Ira Rubinoff, which in 1961 visit first time Punta Galeta and he realized immediately of the naturalvalue of that place. That big was his interest and inspiration that request to the Pentagon that Galeta’s military property, was delivered to Smithsonian Institution and was one of themost important marine investigation facilities in the world.

Until 1999 the access was restricted just to researchers with Investigation Permission, after the Panama Canalreversion to that territory, that the decision of make it an environmental and marine education pilot program, aimed at children meanly students of the primary school and universitystudents it is starting from 2000.

Actually Galeta Point environmental education program periodically receives the visit of the primary schools and high schools of the differentparts of the country as well as universities and general public, which interact together with the environment, and learn about their conservation and importance.

FurthermorePanamanian students as well as the other countries have been advantaged with fellowship and internship which bring at them the opportunities to make short-term projects and researches.