Coiba National Park, Panama
Today we had our first day in Panama, and what an amazing day this turned out to be. We had a full morning in Coiba National Park, one of the biggest national parks of Panama as well as one of the most pristine and preserved ecosystems of our times. Coiba is the largest island in Central America’s Pacific Coast and the second largest after Vancouver Island in the Pacific Coast of the Americas. There is an important reason for it to be so pristine and preserved. Besides being an island, Coiba was a penal colony from 1919 until 1991 when it was declared a national park. At that time it was programmed to relocate the prisoners and the place was first opened to visitors. Coiba National Park not only protects the land but also the waters surrounding the island and several small islands and islets. It is consider the second largest marine park in the eastern Pacific.
Today in the early morning, some of us got a chance to go on a bird walk to the park ranger station on the main island. Just before breakfast, two Zodiac groups of us landed on the sandy beach. What a great time we had sighting some of the birds like a pair of yellow-headed caracara on the nest, red-legged honey creepers, blue-gray tanagers, bananaquit, great kiskadees, garden emerald hummingbird, an endemic Coiba agouti, and a crimson- backed tanager. The last bird was quite unusual to see because this is its northernmost range.
After our morning and more important after a good breakfast, we were ready to explore the marine side of the island front a islet known as Granito de Oro or “grain of gold.” We all suited up with snorkel gear and went into the water to see what we could find in the water surrounding this cartoonist little islet. It turns out to be a great day to snorkel with calm seas and warm waters. We got great looks of king angelfish, white-tipped reef shark, hawks billed turtle, guinea foal puffer fish, barber fish, trigger fish, surgeon fish and even some big eye jacks as you can see in the picture.
After snorkeling, we spent the rest of the afternoon cruising on our way to the Bay of Panama and the Panama Canal. On the watch for marine life all afternoon, many of us got to see spotted pantropical dolphins, sea turtles, yellow bellied sea snakes, and a nice sunset.
Today we had our first day in Panama, and what an amazing day this turned out to be. We had a full morning in Coiba National Park, one of the biggest national parks of Panama as well as one of the most pristine and preserved ecosystems of our times. Coiba is the largest island in Central America’s Pacific Coast and the second largest after Vancouver Island in the Pacific Coast of the Americas. There is an important reason for it to be so pristine and preserved. Besides being an island, Coiba was a penal colony from 1919 until 1991 when it was declared a national park. At that time it was programmed to relocate the prisoners and the place was first opened to visitors. Coiba National Park not only protects the land but also the waters surrounding the island and several small islands and islets. It is consider the second largest marine park in the eastern Pacific.
Today in the early morning, some of us got a chance to go on a bird walk to the park ranger station on the main island. Just before breakfast, two Zodiac groups of us landed on the sandy beach. What a great time we had sighting some of the birds like a pair of yellow-headed caracara on the nest, red-legged honey creepers, blue-gray tanagers, bananaquit, great kiskadees, garden emerald hummingbird, an endemic Coiba agouti, and a crimson- backed tanager. The last bird was quite unusual to see because this is its northernmost range.
After our morning and more important after a good breakfast, we were ready to explore the marine side of the island front a islet known as Granito de Oro or “grain of gold.” We all suited up with snorkel gear and went into the water to see what we could find in the water surrounding this cartoonist little islet. It turns out to be a great day to snorkel with calm seas and warm waters. We got great looks of king angelfish, white-tipped reef shark, hawks billed turtle, guinea foal puffer fish, barber fish, trigger fish, surgeon fish and even some big eye jacks as you can see in the picture.
After snorkeling, we spent the rest of the afternoon cruising on our way to the Bay of Panama and the Panama Canal. On the watch for marine life all afternoon, many of us got to see spotted pantropical dolphins, sea turtles, yellow bellied sea snakes, and a nice sunset.
