Beny Wilson: Passion for Nature
To share, in a fun and educational way, all my knowledge about Panama's heritage and all the experiences of my life to inspire people love and care for their country, their people and mankind futures"
Venicio “Beny” Emmanuelle Wilson Altamiranda was born in Almirante, province of Bocas del Toro in Western Panama in a house surrounded by beautiful creeks and swamp forests.
It was there where his father and grandfather inspired his interest in “the little animals”, as he used to say.
Beny began his passion for birds at age 16 when he accidentally got a copy of the newly translated Spanish version of “A Field Guide to the Birds of Panama”. Two years later, along with other fellow biology students at the University of Panama, created Grupo Ecologista Vida, a non profit group doing environmental education for school kids of the city of Colon.
Beny has worked for most of the major tour operators in Panama and some important companies in the US and Canada. He is an expert in the Darien region and has hiked from Ustupo, in the Caribbean coast, to the Gulf of San Miguel, in the Pacific coast of Panama. Besides hiking and birding, Beny is also an authority in frogs, especially the Dendrobatid poison frogs. For his expertise, Beny has received recognition by film crews from Europe and Asia. He recently received his credentials as a Certified Interpretive Guide from the National Association for Interpretation (USA).
TESTIMONIALS
Venicio, Thank you so much for making the second visit to Panama such a wonderfull experience. We saw some very special birds and places… “Mr Beny” you are the very best!
EB AND KARALEE. TORONTO, CANADA
Dear Benny, Thank you for being a wonderful guide. We appreciate your skill, kindness and your humor. We specially grateful for watching out for Anh. You treated him wonderfully, patiently and lovingly. We wish you many happy moments and fulfillment in career and life.
SINCERELY, THE SCISCENT FAMILY!
Dear Beny, thank you so mucho for giving us such a wonderful overview of life, culture, politics and economic reality of Panama in a quick 11 day tour. You have been one of our best guides ever and we appreciate your wonderful sense of humor ahd happy disposition. We feel so lucky to have had such an educated and ecologically minded guide…
SHEILA AND TONY SANBER
Thanks, Beny for a great trip in every way, including the fabulous birding and the keep watch my lost luggage- not to mention your general knowledge of Panama which you shared so informatively and gracefully.
JULIE YOLEN
Dear Beny Thank you for sharing with us your abundant knowledge about Panama. Your responsiveness to our continual questioning and your informed answers made our visit considerably more than I and Burt expected. We take away a more complete picture of your country.
Dear Beny Thank you for making our stay in Panama enjoyable, informative and very memorable. We appreciate the chance to see so many birds. We wish you much success and happiness and hope our paths cross in the future.
SUE AND JIM
Beny. Thanks again for a wonderful trip. My final totals were 412 species and 244 lifers. Not bad considering it took me 8 years of birdwatching in the U.S. to get 412 species…
BRUCE
Dear Beny WOW- what can I say? Rick and I have had and amazing trip, and of course you have been a big part of it. Thank you! Thank you for showing us your Panama – beautiful, colorful, friendly, complex and so very welcoming. I hope we will be able to return for another visit, since there is still so much to see. We wish you all the best in whatever adventures and directions your life takes and hope to see you again someday.
KATHY AND RICK
Dear Beny It is hard to find words to describe our wonderful experience of traveling around Panama with you as our leader extraordinary!! You went beyond our expectations and this will always be a very memorable trip for us because of your outstanding qualities and the enthusiasm for your country that you shared with us. You certainly gave us a big and exciting “learning and discovery” experience most every day- it is hard for us to pick a favorite day!! Beny, you were so well prepared each day with every detail in place, you met the varied needs of each traveler with respect and kindness…We love the variety of experiences the 10 days and thank you for sharing and caring for us. You are THE BEST.
JAN AND BILL
From TripAdvisor
Benie was a wonderful, outstanding guide! We spent an entire day on the TransIshtmus Canal Trip (driving to Colon, Portobelo and returning by train). WELL WORTH the time! Thank you!
DENNIS. DALLAS, TEXAS
We had a wonderful experience with Sendero. Before I stumbled upon Sendero, I tried to arrange day tours with other tour operators in Panama City …. I am so glad I found Sendero (on TripAdvisor, by the way) because they were great. Responsive, courteous, and professional, and this was my impression before we even went on our day tour of the Soberania NP! It only got better once Benny (our guide) picked us up from our B&B. Benny was kind, funny, and SO knowledgeable. We felt like we learned so much from him and got to see so many things that we would have missed without his keen eyesight. He was also just good company! He even packed us a delicious picnic lunch with his own homemade roasted peppers! Although our tour was not exactly on the cheap side, we felt like it was worth every penny. We had the best day. Thank you Sendero and Benny!
My son and I went on a 10 day birding tour of Panama all organized by Sendero Panama…In the canal area and eastern Panama, we were lucky to have as our private guide, Venicio “Benny” Wilson. Benny is a master bird guide and a humorous companion. With Benny’s help, we saw rarities such as Spectacled Parrotlet, Red-billed Schythebill, Aplomado Falcon and Ocellated Antbird. Benny worked tirelessly to help us see as many species as possible… I can’t say enough about Sendero Panama. If you are a birdwatcher heading to Panama, this is a company you can rely on.
MICHAEL SCHAEFER
We took the tour to Contadora because we didn’t have 3 days to go further. Our tour guide Benicio (Benny) knows a lot about whales and dolphins and we spent about 20 min in the midst of a whirling dolphin swarm of at least 300, jumping, playing and showing off. At Contadora we saw several humpback mums with newborn babies and heard a lot of interesting things…So, with Anne, Benicio and Whalewatching Panama you pay a little more, but you see and learn a lot without doing damage! A great day trip from Panama, dont miss it! If you are sensitive to the sun, bring enough sun blocker, a wind-proof hat and good sun glasses.
