Coiba Island and Granito de Oro
Today we have arrived to Coiba island the last leg of our expedition, in the beautiful country of Panama. We still have more days of adventure ahead of us, but this will occur from tomorrow on in a different Central American country, Costa Rica.
Coiba is a mega-island of 503 square kilometers off the Pacific coast of the Panamanian province of Veraguas. It is relatively new as an island, separated from continental Panama only about 12,000 to 18,000 years ago when sea levels rose.
Similar to what happened in Galápagos, but much more recently, these mainland species have diverged into new ones. Examples of this are the Coiba howler monkeys, the Coiba agouti, which we have been fortunate enough to be able to observe today.
To start our day, early in the morning we arrived to the little spec of island that is Granito de Oro, a tiny island adjacent to the massive island that is Coiba. Granito is a rocky promontory with a pristine white sand beach, which practically disappears during the high tide. What a place for snorkeling! The transparent warm tropical waters are teeming with lots of colorful fish, which contrast with the somewhat subdued Pacific coral reef.
Our morning was spent at this, snorkeling, kayaking, or just resting on the beach. Later in the morning, we repositioned to the nearby park ranger station on the main island of Coiba, and our guests had the opportunity to choose their means of transportation for this, either on National Geographic Sea Lion or under their own power by kayak. Upon arrival the galley crew awaited for us with a well-earned barbecue lunch on the beach.
After lunch and some walks in the premises of the station, which permitted us to observe some of the endemics (Coiba Howler monkeys and agoutis) we departed for Costa Rica. But Panama still had a last gift for us. At least three, maybe four (they were so active!) humpback whales offered a farewell show for us, actively fluking, swimming, diving, and slapping the water with their gigantic dorsal fins.
A great show and a perfect ending of the day!
And off we go for a new country tomorrow.
