Coiba Island, Panama
The early risers decided to start our last day in Panama with a birding walk at the station of Coiba Island national Park. We were received by the rangers and soon we saw some red-lored parrots – the only green in a deciduous tree. Tito was there. The ten feet long American crocodile is an inhabitant of the calm bay located behind the Ranger Station. The yellow-headed caracaras called constantly as they flew above the cashew nut trees. Garden emeralds extracted their energy from the small flowers and then they were gone. Palm tanagers, yellow-faced grassquits, crimson-backed tanagers and the red-crowned woodpeckers were all giving life to a spondia tree. From the lookout point we saw our small island. Yes, it was ours for the day as the only visitors of an island that is small in size and yet so spectacular and rich in marine life. The extent and the undeniable health of the coral reef was our goal after breakfast.
At the low tide on calm waters all we had to do was to float above the coral and after a few minutes everything became alive. The seemingly quiet finger coral is a great shelter for an amazing number of organisms other than the corals themselves. Among the orange environment, the camouflage of the coral crab and the hawkfish fails after the motion. Meanwhile the white-tipped reef shark hides under the rocks and the hawksbill turtle comes out to breathe in slightly deeper water.
The beach barbecue, water sports, swimming, and soccer closed our Panama experience and tomorrow will be another adventure in Costa Rica.
The early risers decided to start our last day in Panama with a birding walk at the station of Coiba Island national Park. We were received by the rangers and soon we saw some red-lored parrots – the only green in a deciduous tree. Tito was there. The ten feet long American crocodile is an inhabitant of the calm bay located behind the Ranger Station. The yellow-headed caracaras called constantly as they flew above the cashew nut trees. Garden emeralds extracted their energy from the small flowers and then they were gone. Palm tanagers, yellow-faced grassquits, crimson-backed tanagers and the red-crowned woodpeckers were all giving life to a spondia tree. From the lookout point we saw our small island. Yes, it was ours for the day as the only visitors of an island that is small in size and yet so spectacular and rich in marine life. The extent and the undeniable health of the coral reef was our goal after breakfast.
At the low tide on calm waters all we had to do was to float above the coral and after a few minutes everything became alive. The seemingly quiet finger coral is a great shelter for an amazing number of organisms other than the corals themselves. Among the orange environment, the camouflage of the coral crab and the hawkfish fails after the motion. Meanwhile the white-tipped reef shark hides under the rocks and the hawksbill turtle comes out to breathe in slightly deeper water.
The beach barbecue, water sports, swimming, and soccer closed our Panama experience and tomorrow will be another adventure in Costa Rica.
