Granito de Oro Islet, Coiba National Park, Panama
The ocean was calm and the sun’s rays welcomed us to Panama. After sailing 120 nautical miles, the National Geographic Sea Lion began to approach Panama’s jewel park: Coiba Island. It was a fresh morning, and the lush pristine forest was easy to see from the ship’s bow.
Coiba Island was known as Panama’s Devil Island for almost 100 years. It was kept from being visited by local and international travelers. Its inhabitants were prisoners that had to plant crops for their own survival. Around 2001 the area was declared a national park and all the prisoners were relocated to other jails around the country, leaving the island uninhabited with a beautiful pristine forest. In 2004 it became protected by law and was included in a very important marine corridor. The corridor connects Coiba Island with Cocos Island in Costa Rica, Malpelo and Gorgona Island in Colombia and Galapagos in Ecuador. This corridor allows several species of fish and marine mammals to swim without the fear of being fished or hunted, and will assure the reproduction of several species that are in danger.
Right after breakfast, the ship dropped anchor close to a little islet. Similar to a comic cartoon, Granito de Oro Islet (as it is known) has a couple of palm trees, white sands and a big patrol of hermit crabs. This paradise is surrounded by hard corals with an impressive marine ecosystem. Eager to get ashore to explore the beauty, we grabbed our gear and loaded the Zodiacs. As we approached the islet we could see the rocky formation; solid evidence that it was the result of volcanic activity millions of year ago. The clear waters revealed the amount of coral that covers the area. As we entered the water and began to snorkel, different species of fish began to swim with us. Morish idols, bicolored parrot fish, puffer fish, Cornet reef fish, giant damselfish, king angel fish, morays, white tipped sharks and hawk billed turtles were some that showed up for our delight!
We didn’t realize that time had passed so fast and we had to get back on board. We had to leave behind this lovely paradise because our trip had to continue. 190 nautical miles had to be covered in order to reach our next destination. On our way, pantropical spotted dolphins played around the bow escorting us. Green sea turtles poked their head out of the water, as if waving goodbye. It had been another spectacular day. As the sun began to set, we all gathered in the lounge to share our thoughts of the day. We are looking forward to our next destination, the Panama Canal!
