Parque Nacional Coiba
There was not a better way to start our journey in Panama than by visiting one of the few destinations off the Pacific coast of the Americas as exotic, untouched and virgin as Isla de Coiba.
This first destination however, has had a dark and scary history as it was sectioned off as a penal colony in 1912. But in 1991 the Panamanian government decided to establish Parque Nacional Coiba which protected the island and its waters as a National Park, ceasing all operations of the penal colony. Later, it would be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and finally recognized as part of an intrinsic Marine Corridor for wildlife that stretches throughout the Americas.
The marine life in the park is simply overwhelming, and we had a spot of choice, a little islet called Granito de Oro or “Gold Nugget.” With a few palm trees, white sand beach and astounding coral, this is the closest we could get to a beer commercial. There is a high species richness of animals on this coral reef and we were able to spot Green Moray, Cornet fishes, Rainbow Wrasses, Parrot fishes, Angel fishes, Moorish idols, Puffer fishes, Porcupine fishes, White tip Reef Sharks and a Hawk’s Bill Turtle.
After returning to the Sea Voyager, we weighed anchor and started sailing east in search of marine mammals and our next destination. Our reward, a spectacular sunset and the sighted of a Bryde’s Whale as we cruised past the southernmost tip of Panama, Punta Mariato.
There was not a better way to start our journey in Panama than by visiting one of the few destinations off the Pacific coast of the Americas as exotic, untouched and virgin as Isla de Coiba.
This first destination however, has had a dark and scary history as it was sectioned off as a penal colony in 1912. But in 1991 the Panamanian government decided to establish Parque Nacional Coiba which protected the island and its waters as a National Park, ceasing all operations of the penal colony. Later, it would be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and finally recognized as part of an intrinsic Marine Corridor for wildlife that stretches throughout the Americas.
The marine life in the park is simply overwhelming, and we had a spot of choice, a little islet called Granito de Oro or “Gold Nugget.” With a few palm trees, white sand beach and astounding coral, this is the closest we could get to a beer commercial. There is a high species richness of animals on this coral reef and we were able to spot Green Moray, Cornet fishes, Rainbow Wrasses, Parrot fishes, Angel fishes, Moorish idols, Puffer fishes, Porcupine fishes, White tip Reef Sharks and a Hawk’s Bill Turtle.
After returning to the Sea Voyager, we weighed anchor and started sailing east in search of marine mammals and our next destination. Our reward, a spectacular sunset and the sighted of a Bryde’s Whale as we cruised past the southernmost tip of Panama, Punta Mariato.
