Coiba National Park, Panama

We have started our first day of our expeditions in Panama! After cruising all night long, we reached one of the most pristine national parks in Panama. Coiba National Park is the largest marine national park in Panama, and one with the best status of conservation. This is in large part thanks to a penal colony established in 1919, that was run for several decades and abolished in the late 1990s, which kept Panamanian colonizers away from this piece of paradise.

Thank to the ecological richness found on this island, the Panamanian government decided to establish Coiba as a National Park in 1990, in order to ensure the protection of such a vital zone. With over 270,000 hectares of marine and land ecosystems, Coiba is one of the hot spots for visitors who want to enjoy nature at its maximum expression. Visiting it is one of the best ways to introduce the richness of biodiversity in Panama to our guests. Certainly a great amount of endemism is found in this unique location, and species such as Coiba Spinetail, Coiba howler monkeys and Coiba agouties can be found, and because of all this richness it has been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Coiba also plays a vital role as part of a Marine Biological Corridor, formed by the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, Malpelo Island in Colombia, and Cocos Islands in Costa Rica. It is in our hands to protect it for the well being of every form of marine life and our own.

The morning started a little wet. A tropical shower refreshed our morning as we approached Granito de Oro, which is one of the smallest islets of the parks. It protects a rocky reef formation that is home to colorful and vivid fishes. Moorish Idols, Damselfishes, Triggerfishes, Parrotfishes and colorful corals were the main attraction for the snorkelers, and the jade-colored calm and clear waters gave us the chance for great swimming and kayaking around the islet. After this priceless morning, we returned on board and repositioned to the Park ranger station, where a delicious BBQ lunch awaited us.

Our day has been filled with a lifetime of memories here in Coiba Island, now it is time to cruise toward the small islands of Otoque and Bona and the Panama Canal, where the richness of nature and the tenacity of humans will delight our senses.

Hasta mañana.