National Geographic Sea Lion had cruised from the Pearl Islands during the night. When the sun began to rise, Coiba National Park was already in sight. This park amongst the largest in Panama and is known to have the second biggest coral reef of the tropical eastern Pacific.
It was reserved from development and isolated from visitors since it had a unique settlement: it used to be a penal colony at the beginning of the last century. Being so distant from the mainland, the park gathers different species of mammals and birds that are considered endemic to the area. The major attraction of the park is the marine area with its extension of 221,000 hectares (552,500 acres).
We landed in a small little islet with white sand, four coconut trees, great shade and a huge population of hermit crabs. It was a great place to be on such a lovely sunny day.
Our guests geared up and couldn’t wait to plunge in the crystal waters. It was so hard not to spend the whole afternoon in this paradise. The water was warm as a bathtub and the schools of fish enjoyed the view of the snorkelers. Others decided to explore the surroundings on kayaks, some swam while others simply marveled at the scenery. We were so thankful that the Panamanian government had decided to protect this isolated paradise!
As the sun began to set, we all went back onboard and weighed anchor, 120 nautical miles must be navigated in order to reach our following day destination, Costa Rica.
