Our last day in Panama began with a spectacular sunrise. National Geographic Sea Lion was still cruising to its morning destination when a pod of pantropical spotted dolphins came to welcome us. As they escorted our ship, we heard the wake-up call given by our expedition leader Gustavo. Our early-riser guests gathered on the sundeck with our wellness specialist Alexis for their regular stretching class.
The sound of the anchor being dropped indicated that we had finally arrived to our destination. The sunlight revealed to our eyes a small cartoon-like islet known as Granito de Oro, “Little Grain of Gold.” The sea was calm and the crystal waters invited us to go ashore and explore all the surroundings of this islet.
The weather was perfect for snorkeling, swimming or kayaking. Once on shore, each guest went to explore as they wished. With their snorkeling gear, they slowly submerged in the crystal waters. Their eyes were filled with the colorful fish that swam around them, careless of their presence. Big schools of chancho surgeonfish, big-eyed jacks, spotted rose snappers, Moorish idols, king angelfish and many others had gathered in these waters since it has the second largest coral reef of the tropical Eastern Pacific.
It was a great morning. Those who preferred to stay and relax at the white sand beach were delighted by mangrove warblers, American oystercatchers, bare-throated tiger herons and common black hawks. The hermit crabs came down from the rocks looking for anything that was left behind, with the idea of having something to eat.
The morning passed and back on board, Sea Lion repositioned in front of Coiba Island’s ranger station. Our galley had prepared a delicious barbecue lunch. We recharged our energies and some relaxed for a moment in the shade of a big mango tree. White-faced capuchin monkeys showed up to spy on our guests but decided to leave us alone. But the cameras didn’t let them. The snapping sound made them more curious.
What a day we had. It was our last day in Panama and nature had been so kind in allowing us to enjoy all the beauty of this park. Tomorrow… Costa Rica!
