Coiba Marine National Park - Veraguas, Panama
Today we woke up at one of Panama’s most pristine national parks, Coiba Marine National Park, declared not long ago Panama’s fifth UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park’s area is of 270,000 hectares, of which 80% is under water. Coiba harbors the second-largest Eastern Pacific coral reef. The main island Coiba, with 493 sq-km was once a penal colony where the guards at night lock themselves in their rooms with their guns and the prisoners were free to roam on their own. Each morning the roll was called and the prisoners that were not present were considered escapees.
In the morning we visited the little island of Granito de Oro (Little grain of gold), where, as we were anchoring, were received by a group of dolphins. The marine mammals were swimming as frigatebirds harassed brown bobbies in the air, a display of nature announcing the show that the day was preparing for us. As we arrived to the little beach of Granito de Oro we were greeted again, but this time by a mangrove black hawk. It was looking over us from a coconut palm, he sat there for a while and I guess it was wondering about the new visitors. I am pretty sure we don’t look like the previous residents of the area. From the beach we snorkeled and were rewarded by sights of king angelfish, bicolor parrotfish, rainbow wrasse, green moray eel, and even a hawksbill sea turtle.
During the afternoon we visited the ranger’s station at Coiba island and had a delicious BBQ at the beach. Later on, some were strolling to see birds, others to take photos, snorkel and even a large group went kayaking. Crimson backed-tanagers, least sandpiper, yellow headed caracara, bare throated tiger heron, black vultures collecting the heat from the afternoon sun, were some of the findings of this beautiful afternoon.
Behind us stays Panama, the first country of this adventure as we continue our voyage to discover our next destination, the wonders of Costa Rica.
Today we woke up at one of Panama’s most pristine national parks, Coiba Marine National Park, declared not long ago Panama’s fifth UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park’s area is of 270,000 hectares, of which 80% is under water. Coiba harbors the second-largest Eastern Pacific coral reef. The main island Coiba, with 493 sq-km was once a penal colony where the guards at night lock themselves in their rooms with their guns and the prisoners were free to roam on their own. Each morning the roll was called and the prisoners that were not present were considered escapees.
In the morning we visited the little island of Granito de Oro (Little grain of gold), where, as we were anchoring, were received by a group of dolphins. The marine mammals were swimming as frigatebirds harassed brown bobbies in the air, a display of nature announcing the show that the day was preparing for us. As we arrived to the little beach of Granito de Oro we were greeted again, but this time by a mangrove black hawk. It was looking over us from a coconut palm, he sat there for a while and I guess it was wondering about the new visitors. I am pretty sure we don’t look like the previous residents of the area. From the beach we snorkeled and were rewarded by sights of king angelfish, bicolor parrotfish, rainbow wrasse, green moray eel, and even a hawksbill sea turtle.
During the afternoon we visited the ranger’s station at Coiba island and had a delicious BBQ at the beach. Later on, some were strolling to see birds, others to take photos, snorkel and even a large group went kayaking. Crimson backed-tanagers, least sandpiper, yellow headed caracara, bare throated tiger heron, black vultures collecting the heat from the afternoon sun, were some of the findings of this beautiful afternoon.
Behind us stays Panama, the first country of this adventure as we continue our voyage to discover our next destination, the wonders of Costa Rica.
