Coiba Island, Panama
We began the morning with a visit to the park ranger station in the northeast corner of this immense island. In her previous life as the site of a penal colony, Coiba Island was isolated both geographically and socially from the rest of Panama. Everyone kept their distance, and as a result, her ecosystem has remained practically intact. Today we can visit with no hesitation, which we did immediately after breakfast by lowering kayaks and Zodiacs and heading out. A large bay sits just to the north around the corner, and the kayakers paddled off in that direction for exploration along the shores, while others landed on the beach for bird-watching, agouti-watching and wandering along the trails to the lookouts. A fine spotting for the morning were a pair of king vultures spiraling high overhead accompanied by black and turkey vultures, as well as a band of red-legged honeycreepers and silver-beaked tanagers. “Sara” the local brocket deer wandered into camp and sat quietly chewing her cud, but accepted a few caresses, though rejected others in her own special way.
The afternoon was filled with snorkeling, swimming, and kayaking from the small, five-coconut-palm island off shore of the main island of Coiba, known as “Grain of Gold” or “Granito d’Oro.” Low tide was ideal and the corals and fish were close. White-tipped reef sharks, Pacific spotted and large green moray eels as well as the tiny jewel moray, Moorish idols, damselfish, parrotfish, needlefish, sergeant majors, butterfly fish and even a lobster were seen. Green sea turtles appeared to a select few, and we stayed in until a light rain began which called us home to the Voyager and preparations for the next step in our journey. We said goodbye to Panama this evening, and tomorrow look forward to entering Costa Rica with her own unique adventures to come.
We began the morning with a visit to the park ranger station in the northeast corner of this immense island. In her previous life as the site of a penal colony, Coiba Island was isolated both geographically and socially from the rest of Panama. Everyone kept their distance, and as a result, her ecosystem has remained practically intact. Today we can visit with no hesitation, which we did immediately after breakfast by lowering kayaks and Zodiacs and heading out. A large bay sits just to the north around the corner, and the kayakers paddled off in that direction for exploration along the shores, while others landed on the beach for bird-watching, agouti-watching and wandering along the trails to the lookouts. A fine spotting for the morning were a pair of king vultures spiraling high overhead accompanied by black and turkey vultures, as well as a band of red-legged honeycreepers and silver-beaked tanagers. “Sara” the local brocket deer wandered into camp and sat quietly chewing her cud, but accepted a few caresses, though rejected others in her own special way.
The afternoon was filled with snorkeling, swimming, and kayaking from the small, five-coconut-palm island off shore of the main island of Coiba, known as “Grain of Gold” or “Granito d’Oro.” Low tide was ideal and the corals and fish were close. White-tipped reef sharks, Pacific spotted and large green moray eels as well as the tiny jewel moray, Moorish idols, damselfish, parrotfish, needlefish, sergeant majors, butterfly fish and even a lobster were seen. Green sea turtles appeared to a select few, and we stayed in until a light rain began which called us home to the Voyager and preparations for the next step in our journey. We said goodbye to Panama this evening, and tomorrow look forward to entering Costa Rica with her own unique adventures to come.
