Isla Coiba, Panama
Sharks and snorkelers: can they mix peacefully? Classic horror movies notwithstanding, the answer is absolutely yes! Sharks are beautiful and fascinating animals, and the great majority are shy and not at all aggressive, unless you are a small fish. Of the several hundred species found worldwide, only a handful are ever known to attack human beings.
Arriving in Panama ahead of schedule today, we spent a tropical idyll afternoon at Isla Coiba, the largest island off the Pacific coast of Central America. Basing ourselves on the golden sand beach of the tiny islet known as Granito d’Oro, the grain of gold, we swam, snorkeled, kayaked and lounged in the shade as each moment’s inspiration, or lack thereof, struck us. Many beautiful tropical fish were observed out along the rocky reef at the corner of the beach, including brilliantly colored juvenile damselfish, unusual golden-phase guineaufowl pufferfish and dramatically marked king angels. Diving down to take a look at a school of grunts hanging around the mouth of a small cavity in the boulders, I found these three little white-tipped reef sharks resting for the day. This species is common in topical waters all around the globe, but quite shy around divers and snorkelers.
Later as the day began to cool and sun lowered into the west some of us boarded Zodiacs for the short shuttle to the main island and a hike in the beautiful primary tropical forest or a bird watching excursion around the ranger station. In a perfect conclusion to the day we returned to the National Geographic Endeavour to find Anders the bartender serving delicious Jungle Juice cocktails on the pool deck.
Like all species of wildlife, sharks deserve our attention and respect. These powerful, graceful fish are an ancient group, extremely successful in our planet’s seas for hundreds of millions of years, long, long before any hairless apes walked the land. Today, we are a far greater threat to sharks than they have ever been to us; their populations have declined terribly from over fishing and habitat loss. If you are ever lucky enough to encounter a shark in the water, remember that it is at least as concerned about you as you are about it! Move slowly to avoid startling it and you may be able to observe it for some time. Above all, enjoy your moments with this truly remarkable animal.
Sharks and snorkelers: can they mix peacefully? Classic horror movies notwithstanding, the answer is absolutely yes! Sharks are beautiful and fascinating animals, and the great majority are shy and not at all aggressive, unless you are a small fish. Of the several hundred species found worldwide, only a handful are ever known to attack human beings.
Arriving in Panama ahead of schedule today, we spent a tropical idyll afternoon at Isla Coiba, the largest island off the Pacific coast of Central America. Basing ourselves on the golden sand beach of the tiny islet known as Granito d’Oro, the grain of gold, we swam, snorkeled, kayaked and lounged in the shade as each moment’s inspiration, or lack thereof, struck us. Many beautiful tropical fish were observed out along the rocky reef at the corner of the beach, including brilliantly colored juvenile damselfish, unusual golden-phase guineaufowl pufferfish and dramatically marked king angels. Diving down to take a look at a school of grunts hanging around the mouth of a small cavity in the boulders, I found these three little white-tipped reef sharks resting for the day. This species is common in topical waters all around the globe, but quite shy around divers and snorkelers.
Later as the day began to cool and sun lowered into the west some of us boarded Zodiacs for the short shuttle to the main island and a hike in the beautiful primary tropical forest or a bird watching excursion around the ranger station. In a perfect conclusion to the day we returned to the National Geographic Endeavour to find Anders the bartender serving delicious Jungle Juice cocktails on the pool deck.
Like all species of wildlife, sharks deserve our attention and respect. These powerful, graceful fish are an ancient group, extremely successful in our planet’s seas for hundreds of millions of years, long, long before any hairless apes walked the land. Today, we are a far greater threat to sharks than they have ever been to us; their populations have declined terribly from over fishing and habitat loss. If you are ever lucky enough to encounter a shark in the water, remember that it is at least as concerned about you as you are about it! Move slowly to avoid startling it and you may be able to observe it for some time. Above all, enjoy your moments with this truly remarkable animal.
