Granito de Oro Island, outside Coiba Island, Panama
In the Golfo de Chiriqui, on the western most part of Panama, lies the largest island in the country. Coiba Island is part of a protected scenic area since 1991, when it became the centerpiece of a national park. Out of the 270,000 hectares the park comprises, about 80% is protecting oceanic habitats. It was once also Panama’s own “Devil’s Island.” For decades, this island had been the site of a federal penal colony, which ironically is the reason why it has been kept almost intact. One of the main attractions in the area is the little private island just on the eastern side of the main island, our very own Granito de Oro, a minute speck of sand that offers a snorkeling paradise.
Although coral reefs represent the main habitat for reef fishes in most other parts of the vast Indo-Pacific tropics, they are poorly represented in the eastern Pacific. In most areas only scattered, somewhat isolated coral formations are found, but the notable exception is in the Gulf of Chiriqui, exactly where we were today. Because of the more stable thermal regime in this region, there is extensive development of certain hard coral species, which harbor a rich variety of reef fish.
Green moray eels, grunts, damselfish, cornet reef fish, butterfly fish, wrasses, parrotfish, triggerfish, snappers, angelfish, surgeonfish, blennies, gobbies, pufferfish, Moorish idols, and even a hawksbill turtle welcomed us into Poseidon’s realm. If time spent in the water allows for adaptation to occur, many of us are now mermaids and tritons. Nobody went back to the ship lacking anecdotes or time spent in the water or the beach.
Sunned-out, we went back to our faithful vessel, to begin our cruising towards man’s own wonder, the Panama Canal.
In the Golfo de Chiriqui, on the western most part of Panama, lies the largest island in the country. Coiba Island is part of a protected scenic area since 1991, when it became the centerpiece of a national park. Out of the 270,000 hectares the park comprises, about 80% is protecting oceanic habitats. It was once also Panama’s own “Devil’s Island.” For decades, this island had been the site of a federal penal colony, which ironically is the reason why it has been kept almost intact. One of the main attractions in the area is the little private island just on the eastern side of the main island, our very own Granito de Oro, a minute speck of sand that offers a snorkeling paradise.
Although coral reefs represent the main habitat for reef fishes in most other parts of the vast Indo-Pacific tropics, they are poorly represented in the eastern Pacific. In most areas only scattered, somewhat isolated coral formations are found, but the notable exception is in the Gulf of Chiriqui, exactly where we were today. Because of the more stable thermal regime in this region, there is extensive development of certain hard coral species, which harbor a rich variety of reef fish.
Green moray eels, grunts, damselfish, cornet reef fish, butterfly fish, wrasses, parrotfish, triggerfish, snappers, angelfish, surgeonfish, blennies, gobbies, pufferfish, Moorish idols, and even a hawksbill turtle welcomed us into Poseidon’s realm. If time spent in the water allows for adaptation to occur, many of us are now mermaids and tritons. Nobody went back to the ship lacking anecdotes or time spent in the water or the beach.
Sunned-out, we went back to our faithful vessel, to begin our cruising towards man’s own wonder, the Panama Canal.
