Coiba Island, Panama
We reached this Pacific paradise early in the morning for fabulous pre-breakfast birding at the island. The birding here is so good that there is no need to go into the trails! We spotted a couple nice tanagers like the crimson back, palm, and blue grey. Flycatchers, hummers, and the red legged honeycreeper made our day.
We then continued to a small island, Granito de Oro, which means little grain of gold, quite a true moniker. Many of us went snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, or just resting. The crystal clear water is excellent for swimming and especially suited for snorkeling. Coral reef inhabitants, fishes like grunts, sergeant majors, angelfish, and the white tip reef shark welcomed all the snorkelers. The most exiting encounter was a hawksbill marine turtle that actually swam with us!
Once resting on the fine sand, we were able to watch the interesting hermit crabs. These crabs were all over the beach with a population of many thousands! We had all morning to discover and enjoy these little jewels.
Later we went to the main island of Coiba, which began as a penal colony in 1920. This island of about 125,000 square acres was the home of many dangerous inmates; this indirectly protected the pristine jungle of the island. Today there are no inmates but the beautiful rainforest and its wildlife make this island a paradise. The crew prepared a fabulous barbeque which was quite satiating! Some of us had the unique opportunity to spot the agouti coibensis which is an endemic species of Coiba! Iguanas, crocodile, and some birds finished our day.
We reached this Pacific paradise early in the morning for fabulous pre-breakfast birding at the island. The birding here is so good that there is no need to go into the trails! We spotted a couple nice tanagers like the crimson back, palm, and blue grey. Flycatchers, hummers, and the red legged honeycreeper made our day.
We then continued to a small island, Granito de Oro, which means little grain of gold, quite a true moniker. Many of us went snorkeling, swimming, kayaking, or just resting. The crystal clear water is excellent for swimming and especially suited for snorkeling. Coral reef inhabitants, fishes like grunts, sergeant majors, angelfish, and the white tip reef shark welcomed all the snorkelers. The most exiting encounter was a hawksbill marine turtle that actually swam with us!
Once resting on the fine sand, we were able to watch the interesting hermit crabs. These crabs were all over the beach with a population of many thousands! We had all morning to discover and enjoy these little jewels.
Later we went to the main island of Coiba, which began as a penal colony in 1920. This island of about 125,000 square acres was the home of many dangerous inmates; this indirectly protected the pristine jungle of the island. Today there are no inmates but the beautiful rainforest and its wildlife make this island a paradise. The crew prepared a fabulous barbeque which was quite satiating! Some of us had the unique opportunity to spot the agouti coibensis which is an endemic species of Coiba! Iguanas, crocodile, and some birds finished our day.
