From the National Geographic Sea Lion in Costa Rica and Panama, 1/2/2013, National Geographic Sea Lion

Granito de Oro, Coiba National Park, Panama

After a wonderful time in Costa Rica we crossed the border to Panama. With a sunny morning and a beautiful scenario, we anchored near the little island in the middle of the nowhere known as Granito de Oro, in the Coiba National Park. Created by executive order in 1991, Coiba National Park’s 240 km of protected coastlines and islands are preserved in their natural state.

The conservation of this archipelago is mostly due to its role as a prison from 1919-1989. The prison was transformed into a kind of concentration camp for political prisoners and opponents of the regime.

Coiba Island has several endemic species, and over 80% of the island is covered by its native vegetation, mangroves. Its beaches spawn at least three species of sea turtles, and it has the best-preserved coral reefs in the Panamanian Pacific. Currently this area has a vital role in terms of its position within the marine conservation corridor of the eastern tropic Pacific, which connects five national parks, including Cocos Island in Costa Rica, Panama’s Coiba Island , Malpelo and Gorgona in Colombia and Galapagos in Ecuador. Forming a large corridor of 211 million hectares, including five national parks, it’s an exclusive economic zone of four countries.

In this beautiful place we had the opportunity to snorkel and see some of the marine life of this national park, including white-tipped reef shark, undulated moray eel, zebra moray, Panamanian silverside, California flying fish, reef cornetfish, trumpetfish, stone or scorpionfish, flag cabrilla, banded serrano, Pacific creolefish, rainbow runner, blue & gold snapper , spottail grunt, Mexican goatfish, Cortez chub, barberfish, three-banded butterflyfish, king angel, coral hawkfish, giant damselfish, Panamic sergeant major and more. We also kayaked and relaxed on the beach a bit.

Back on board National Geographic Sea Lion, a great lunch was waiting for us and we had the opportunity to see Panama sea turtles and dolphin from the boat. In afternoon we had a beautiful sunset.