Coiba Island, Panama
After sailing during the afternoon and night around the Azuero Peninsula, we arrived this morning to the beautiful island of Coiba. Once a penal colony, today it is the most unexplored and unknown of the Panamanians national parks.
With more than 52,000 hectares of land, Coiba is by far the largest island in the Pacific side of Central America. The islands, isles and rocks that surround Coiba, besides being a wonderful addition to the landscape, add 5,000 more hectares of land and a plenty space for what is believed to be the most extensive, diverse and best preserved of the coral reefs of the eastern Pacific area.
The eastern pacific area is well known for its diversity: 80% of the fishes found in this area are endemic to it. Coiba Island holds around 70% of all that diversity. There are at least four different species of coral reef building organisms endemic to this area. This island has been isolated for so long that some of the animals have evolved into new species: Coiba island howler monkey, Coiba Island agouti, Coiba Island or brown-backed dove and the Coiba spintail.
The presence of the penal colony kept away the “campesinos,” farmers that will slash and burn the jungle to replace it with corn fields or pasture for cattle, but now that the penal colony is about to be closed, the pressure to the island is beginning to rise.
Today we had a spectacular day in Coiba: we went snorkeling and the white-tipped reef shark was around; we saw green iguanas nesting in a cliff in one of the many isles; we saw scarlet macaws on the long trail and a great kiskadee nesting in the antenna of the radio system of the ranger station.
A yellow-bellied sea snake was seen on our way back to the Sea Voyager. During the Zodiac cruise we found dozens of olive ridley turtles, manta rays and even a crocodile on the beach.
Visiting Coiba made me think about life in such a magnificent place. I think it will be a crime to run away from such a wonderful prison; a crime not to protect it, and a crime not to visit it.
After sailing during the afternoon and night around the Azuero Peninsula, we arrived this morning to the beautiful island of Coiba. Once a penal colony, today it is the most unexplored and unknown of the Panamanians national parks.
With more than 52,000 hectares of land, Coiba is by far the largest island in the Pacific side of Central America. The islands, isles and rocks that surround Coiba, besides being a wonderful addition to the landscape, add 5,000 more hectares of land and a plenty space for what is believed to be the most extensive, diverse and best preserved of the coral reefs of the eastern Pacific area.
The eastern pacific area is well known for its diversity: 80% of the fishes found in this area are endemic to it. Coiba Island holds around 70% of all that diversity. There are at least four different species of coral reef building organisms endemic to this area. This island has been isolated for so long that some of the animals have evolved into new species: Coiba island howler monkey, Coiba Island agouti, Coiba Island or brown-backed dove and the Coiba spintail.
The presence of the penal colony kept away the “campesinos,” farmers that will slash and burn the jungle to replace it with corn fields or pasture for cattle, but now that the penal colony is about to be closed, the pressure to the island is beginning to rise.
Today we had a spectacular day in Coiba: we went snorkeling and the white-tipped reef shark was around; we saw green iguanas nesting in a cliff in one of the many isles; we saw scarlet macaws on the long trail and a great kiskadee nesting in the antenna of the radio system of the ranger station.
A yellow-bellied sea snake was seen on our way back to the Sea Voyager. During the Zodiac cruise we found dozens of olive ridley turtles, manta rays and even a crocodile on the beach.
Visiting Coiba made me think about life in such a magnificent place. I think it will be a crime to run away from such a wonderful prison; a crime not to protect it, and a crime not to visit it.
