Isla Coiba National Park and Granito de Oro, Panama
We dropped our anchor close to the shore of Granito de Oro, one of the tiny islands that Coiba has to offer, just before the sun broke the horizon. It was going to be a splendid day, by the looks of it. We had cruised all night to get here and were anxious to go ashore. The Zodiacs and kayaks were lowered and we set off to explore our little speck of white sand with a few coconut trees and huge rocks that stood out among the green background of wild exotic shrubbery. We were greeted by what seemed to be hundreds of hermit crabs spread out across the beach in search of any tasty morsels that may have been left behind from the outgoing tide.
We scouted out the area quickly and donned our snorkeling gear and entered the warm waters of the clear eastern Pacific. This well developed little reef is home to over 69 species of fish and several schools were approaching us for a better look. The grunts were hiding in the crevices between the rocks while the Moorish Idols sailed magnificently across the sand in search of alga. A Hawksbill Turtle made a sudden appearance and just as quickly exited. In another hole, we spied a White tip shark and was awed by it’s grace and power as it slowly swam away.
And while some of us delighted in the wonders of the ocean, others were headed to the main island of Coiba, which is approximately 25 miles long, to hike the paths there. Tanagers, antshrikes, manakins and sanderlings were just some of the many species of birds identified either by sight or sound. A blue-throated goldentail hummingbird was sighted which was a delight to see. These hummers are rare in mainland Panama but common in Coiba. Our naturalist was able to find the delicate and tiny nest of the same bird.
After a short break from the relentless tropical sun, we were soon back on our “little grain of gold”. Our island was starting to be swallowed up by the incoming tide and the sun was setting fast as we departed for our ship sadly. Tonight we leave Panama and point our bow towards Costa Rica. Pura Vida
We dropped our anchor close to the shore of Granito de Oro, one of the tiny islands that Coiba has to offer, just before the sun broke the horizon. It was going to be a splendid day, by the looks of it. We had cruised all night to get here and were anxious to go ashore. The Zodiacs and kayaks were lowered and we set off to explore our little speck of white sand with a few coconut trees and huge rocks that stood out among the green background of wild exotic shrubbery. We were greeted by what seemed to be hundreds of hermit crabs spread out across the beach in search of any tasty morsels that may have been left behind from the outgoing tide.
We scouted out the area quickly and donned our snorkeling gear and entered the warm waters of the clear eastern Pacific. This well developed little reef is home to over 69 species of fish and several schools were approaching us for a better look. The grunts were hiding in the crevices between the rocks while the Moorish Idols sailed magnificently across the sand in search of alga. A Hawksbill Turtle made a sudden appearance and just as quickly exited. In another hole, we spied a White tip shark and was awed by it’s grace and power as it slowly swam away.
And while some of us delighted in the wonders of the ocean, others were headed to the main island of Coiba, which is approximately 25 miles long, to hike the paths there. Tanagers, antshrikes, manakins and sanderlings were just some of the many species of birds identified either by sight or sound. A blue-throated goldentail hummingbird was sighted which was a delight to see. These hummers are rare in mainland Panama but common in Coiba. Our naturalist was able to find the delicate and tiny nest of the same bird.
After a short break from the relentless tropical sun, we were soon back on our “little grain of gold”. Our island was starting to be swallowed up by the incoming tide and the sun was setting fast as we departed for our ship sadly. Tonight we leave Panama and point our bow towards Costa Rica. Pura Vida
