I just couldn’t resist. I was on a site inspection in Panama and was hit with an irresistible inspiration. Creativity comes out of nowhere sometimes, and I love it when it happens! The opportunity was just too perfect. I was practically giddy as I rushed back to my hotel room, logged onto the internet and Googled: “floating crocodile.”

There it was:

Solar-Powered Floating Crocodile Head — The ultimate in swimming pool security!  Only $39.98.

I ordered it immediately.

When she arrived at my office a couple of weeks later, I was delighted at the life-like quality. The colors. The detail. The bulging yellow eyes. My staff thought I’d gone off the deep end. But I was resolute with my vision– and my plan was crystal clear.

When it was time to pack for the incentive program I was escorting to Panama a few weeks later, she barely fit in the carry-on, carefully swaddled in bubble wrap. I’m sure they’ve seen it all, but I hoped that TSA wouldn’t search my bag and ask me to explain.

Gamboa is located on a sharp bend of the Chagres River where it feeds into Gatun Lake.  The area had been developed in the late 1930s to house construction workers involved in dredging operations for the Panama Canal.  An old single-lane wooden bridge crosses the Chagres and is still the only road access to what is now Gamboa Rainforest Resort – our hotel for the first three nights of my group’s incentive program.

Next morning, we split into two groups, each boarding a small boat with a naturalist guide. Given its location at the “end of the road” and the single road connecting it to the rest of the Canal Zone, Gamboa is adjacent to significant tracts of pristine rainforest. As such, Gamboa is home to caymans, crocodiles, sloths, turtles, iguanas, and thousands of bird species.

Our destination is “Monkey Island,” where Capuchin and Howler monkeys live in their natural habitat.

As we cross under the old wooden bridge, we enter the shipping lane where massive vessels pass by, stacked high with Lego-like containers. Our guide points out the huge dredging operations, including the “Titan” – one of the world’s largest floating cranes.  The Titan was built by Hitler’s Germany and claimed by the U.S. as war booty.

When we reach Monkey Island, the boat captain turns off the motor and we drift silently, waiting expectantly for the resident monkeys to appear.

Nobody thought much about the large duffle bag I’ve brought along this morning. As everyone’s attention is focused on the island, I gently set Crocky afloat. She slowly drifted away from the boat and I settled back in my seat with amused anticipation.

Finally, someone spots her. There’s shouting. And pointing. The boat rocks as everyone lunges to the side to see what he’s pointing at. Cameras click away, furiously. The monkeys are screaming and even the guides are excited.

After some minutes, the fakery is apparent. I cannot suppress my amusement, and the fingers start pointing at me.

I reeled Crocky into the boat, where she was the subject of much admiration and more than a little embarrassment. For the rest of our program, Crocky enjoyed a privileged spot at the front of our motor coach. And, upon returning home, everyone could rightly claim that they’d spotted a crocodile in the Panamanian rainforest.