Granito de Oro Island, Coiba Island National Park, Panama
Last night we made our second longest cruise of the week, about 130 nautical miles southeast of Costa Rica towards the Gulf of Chiriqui, to Panama’s own Devil’s Island, Coiba Island National Park. For many years this island served as a penal colony, many of us wonder if it is indeed a punishment to come to live to this tropical paradise surrounded by blue waters, reefs, and virgin forests, but well, that is for the Panamanian government to decide. We reached the area early in the morning and we split into two groups; those who wanted to go on a birdwatching trip first and then come to enjoy the warm waters and beautiful beach of Granito de Oro, and the second group who went straight to the beach, and who decided to begin their day with a nice swim, sitting at the beach reading a favored book or taking the best snorkeling opportunity in the eastern Pacific.
Although not as rich as the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in numbers of species of reef fish, the eastern Pacific tropics have a special “flavor” given by its high number of endemic species and the unique faunal mix present in the area. This diversity of the shore fishes is reflected in a wide variety of reproductive habits and life-history strategies. Most of these animals are egg layers that employ external fertilization, spawning preceded by nuptial chasing, temporary color change, and courting displays; while others bear live young. A second strategy involves species that lay their eggs on the bottom where they receive some sort of parental care.
Our morning passed by us in a smooth and warm way, where most of us got a bit of a feeling of swimming inside a fish tank. The sand was warm and bright filled with hermit crabs and pieces of corals. Back to the ship for the longest cruise of the trip, 190 nautical miles towards the Panama Canal, our last and most exiting man made attraction.
Last night we made our second longest cruise of the week, about 130 nautical miles southeast of Costa Rica towards the Gulf of Chiriqui, to Panama’s own Devil’s Island, Coiba Island National Park. For many years this island served as a penal colony, many of us wonder if it is indeed a punishment to come to live to this tropical paradise surrounded by blue waters, reefs, and virgin forests, but well, that is for the Panamanian government to decide. We reached the area early in the morning and we split into two groups; those who wanted to go on a birdwatching trip first and then come to enjoy the warm waters and beautiful beach of Granito de Oro, and the second group who went straight to the beach, and who decided to begin their day with a nice swim, sitting at the beach reading a favored book or taking the best snorkeling opportunity in the eastern Pacific.
Although not as rich as the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in numbers of species of reef fish, the eastern Pacific tropics have a special “flavor” given by its high number of endemic species and the unique faunal mix present in the area. This diversity of the shore fishes is reflected in a wide variety of reproductive habits and life-history strategies. Most of these animals are egg layers that employ external fertilization, spawning preceded by nuptial chasing, temporary color change, and courting displays; while others bear live young. A second strategy involves species that lay their eggs on the bottom where they receive some sort of parental care.
Our morning passed by us in a smooth and warm way, where most of us got a bit of a feeling of swimming inside a fish tank. The sand was warm and bright filled with hermit crabs and pieces of corals. Back to the ship for the longest cruise of the trip, 190 nautical miles towards the Panama Canal, our last and most exiting man made attraction.
