Coiba National Park, Panama
After a night of sailing the aptly-named Pacific waters of the Gulf of Panama out to the open ocean, we finally arrived at Coiba Island. This protected area is Panama’s largest marine national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We shuttled ashore to the park ranger station, where some of us divided up into groups in order to take a gentle stroll around the station, listening to our naturalists’ interpretation of the human and natural history of the place.
As it turns out, what today is considered to be one of Panama’s natural jewels, was once the most infamous and dreaded island in the country. Between the years 1919 and 2004, Coiba was officially a penal colony, where the most feared outlaws and criminals were sent. Ironically, this very fact is responsible for the protection of the island’s pristine tropical forests, and the surrounding coral reefs, as it prevented the colonization from the mainland by farmers and cattle ranchers.
After our morning activities, we had a great barbecue at the ranger station, organized by our hotel staff. The afternoon was bright and hot, which offered a great opportunity for snorkeling. Thus, we repositioned our vessel and later disembarked at Granito de Oro Island, a tiny speck of sand surrounded by a nice reef, where some of us were treated to fantastic views of the fish life that inhabit this great little spot.
Later in the evening, we heaved anchor and headed for Golfo Dulce, our first destination in Costa Rica.
