Isla Coiba, Panama
The sound of the anchor being dropped indicated that 130 nautical miles had been covered since lifting the hook yesterday evening. We had arrived to Coiba Island as the sun was beginning to rise, what a beautiful welcome to Panama!
Right after breakfast, we prepared ourselves for a variety of different activities. A group of hikers left first to walk through the trail known as “Los Monos.” Here, a troop of howler monkeys gave them the welcome with their usual howl. This endemic subspecies of howler is only known from this island. On the trail, everybody was busy searching for wildlife when their naturalist guide showed them the gorgeous lance-tailed manakin dancing to attract the attention of his future mate.
Back on the ship, another group of guests was boarding Zodiacs to go to the Ranger Station for an intensive birding session. As soon as they arrived, “Sara,” a female red brocket deer approached to give them a warm welcome. Curiously, the birds began to gather to show their plumage. Great kiskadees, red-legged honeycreepers, red-crowned woodpeckers, crimson-backed tanagers and many more delighted the sight of those who were birdwatching.
On returning to the ship, everybody grabbed their snorkeling gear and headed to the little islet of Granito de Oro. Coiba is well known because of its amazing coral reef. This would be the second biggest coral reef in the tropical Eastern Pacific, home to a diverse marine fauna. It didn’t take very long to prove this: bicolor parrotfish, rainbow wrasse, white-tipped reef sharks, blennies, cabrillas, Pacific barracudas, Moorish idols and many other reef dwellers gave a spectacular welcome to each of the snorkelers that immersed themselves in the waters surrounding the islet.
Time flew and we soon had to return aboard the Sea Voyager. Another 190 nautical miles had to be sailed to reach our next destination, “The Sanctuary of Sea Birds.” While the sun showed us its last rays, we gathered in the lounge to share the wonderful day we had spent on Coiba Island. Another day of our trip had concluded, but more remained to be seen in the following days!
The sound of the anchor being dropped indicated that 130 nautical miles had been covered since lifting the hook yesterday evening. We had arrived to Coiba Island as the sun was beginning to rise, what a beautiful welcome to Panama!
Right after breakfast, we prepared ourselves for a variety of different activities. A group of hikers left first to walk through the trail known as “Los Monos.” Here, a troop of howler monkeys gave them the welcome with their usual howl. This endemic subspecies of howler is only known from this island. On the trail, everybody was busy searching for wildlife when their naturalist guide showed them the gorgeous lance-tailed manakin dancing to attract the attention of his future mate.
Back on the ship, another group of guests was boarding Zodiacs to go to the Ranger Station for an intensive birding session. As soon as they arrived, “Sara,” a female red brocket deer approached to give them a warm welcome. Curiously, the birds began to gather to show their plumage. Great kiskadees, red-legged honeycreepers, red-crowned woodpeckers, crimson-backed tanagers and many more delighted the sight of those who were birdwatching.
On returning to the ship, everybody grabbed their snorkeling gear and headed to the little islet of Granito de Oro. Coiba is well known because of its amazing coral reef. This would be the second biggest coral reef in the tropical Eastern Pacific, home to a diverse marine fauna. It didn’t take very long to prove this: bicolor parrotfish, rainbow wrasse, white-tipped reef sharks, blennies, cabrillas, Pacific barracudas, Moorish idols and many other reef dwellers gave a spectacular welcome to each of the snorkelers that immersed themselves in the waters surrounding the islet.
Time flew and we soon had to return aboard the Sea Voyager. Another 190 nautical miles had to be sailed to reach our next destination, “The Sanctuary of Sea Birds.” While the sun showed us its last rays, we gathered in the lounge to share the wonderful day we had spent on Coiba Island. Another day of our trip had concluded, but more remained to be seen in the following days!
