Coiba Island National Park: Jicarita Island & Granito de Oro
In the early morning hours, the glowing orange sun rose over National Geographic Sea Lion’s location at the wild destination of Coiba National Park, the third largest marine park in the world! This park has been protected from development due to the former establishment of a prison on the main island.
After early risers had a chance to photograph the sunny explosion of color and vibrancy over the water, all went to have breakfast and get ready for the Zodiac cruise excursions of two rounds. One starting at 8:15am and the other at 9:40am, transporting guests close to the shoreline to view wildlife and watch the surf crash up along the jagged rocky region where the ocean meets the cliffs. There were many birds spotted in their natural habitats such as a peregrine falcon, common black hawks, a white ibis, bare-throated tiger heron and nesting brown boobies. All in all it was sunny and pleasant, with a gentle breeze for a glorious morning.
During transit to Granito de Oro, Dr. Dean Gushee gave a stunning presentation on his experiences in Antarctica traveling with National Geographic photographers. His footage of the cold, antsy penguins warmed our hearts.
The afternoon was relaxing as we enjoyed an ice cream sundae bar on the sundeck and cruised towards our destination of Granito de Oro. Upon arrival to the white sandy beach, we had opportunities to kayak, snorkel, and rest on the beach. Most did all of the above and some energetic swimmers daringly snorkeled around the island to view the marine life and burn a few calories.
