Coiba National Park, Panama
We sailed out of the Gulf of Panama last night with favorable wind conditions and tranquil waters. This morning the sun rose lazily over the stern of the Sea Voyager as we approached the southern end of Coiba Island National Park. Created in the early 1990’s, the park is home to a dramatic array of terrestrial and marine wildlife, and is one of the jewels of Panama’s park system.
The island’s unspoiled forests, beaches, and nearly 1700 hectares (4200 acres) of coral reefs are still in pristine conditions thanks in great part to Coiba’s former function as a federal penal colony, which prevented colonization from the mainland. Today more than 80 percent of the island is still covered with rainforest. Soon after breakfast we headed out to the Boca Grande River at the southern end of the island, to kayak along beautiful red and tea mangrove trees, fringed by lush jungle behind. Those of us not intending to exercise that early in the day opted for a Zodiac cruise up river along with the kayakers.
Later in the day, we sailed up to the northern end of the island, to snorkel off a tiny cay aptly named Granito de Oro (little grain of gold), an epitome of the tropical beach paradise with white sand, two coconut palm trees, and a turquoise ocean surrounding it. The snorkeling was also idyllic with hundreds of reef fish swimming in slow motion around us. In the late afternoon we said good-bye to Granito de Oro and Panama, and began our journey toward Costa Rica.
We sailed out of the Gulf of Panama last night with favorable wind conditions and tranquil waters. This morning the sun rose lazily over the stern of the Sea Voyager as we approached the southern end of Coiba Island National Park. Created in the early 1990’s, the park is home to a dramatic array of terrestrial and marine wildlife, and is one of the jewels of Panama’s park system.
The island’s unspoiled forests, beaches, and nearly 1700 hectares (4200 acres) of coral reefs are still in pristine conditions thanks in great part to Coiba’s former function as a federal penal colony, which prevented colonization from the mainland. Today more than 80 percent of the island is still covered with rainforest. Soon after breakfast we headed out to the Boca Grande River at the southern end of the island, to kayak along beautiful red and tea mangrove trees, fringed by lush jungle behind. Those of us not intending to exercise that early in the day opted for a Zodiac cruise up river along with the kayakers.
Later in the day, we sailed up to the northern end of the island, to snorkel off a tiny cay aptly named Granito de Oro (little grain of gold), an epitome of the tropical beach paradise with white sand, two coconut palm trees, and a turquoise ocean surrounding it. The snorkeling was also idyllic with hundreds of reef fish swimming in slow motion around us. In the late afternoon we said good-bye to Granito de Oro and Panama, and began our journey toward Costa Rica.
